Kazakhstan Mulls Building Gas Refinery Without Oil Majors

Kazakhstan is considering building a natural gas refinery at the Karachaganak oil field by itself, after the cost of the development proposed by international oil companies ballooned to about $6 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The companies, led by Eni SpA and Shell Plc, have delayed the planned completion of the facility to 2030 from the previously planned date of 2028, the people said. They have also asked the Kazakh state to help cover about $1 billion of the project’s budget in order to make it commercially viable, the people said.