ALMATY, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company KazMunayGas (KMG) and Russian energy corporation Lukoil have begun implementing the Kalamkas-Sea and Khazar Fields joint development project on the Caspian Shelf, the Kazinform news agency reported Tuesday, citing Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
According to KMG, the combined estimated recoverable reserves of the joint development project of Kalamkas-Sea and Khazar fields amount to about 81 million tonnes of oil and 22 billion cubic meters of gas.
Speaking at the 30th anniversary of Lukoil's operations in Kazakhstan, Tokayev said that more than 6 billion U.S. dollars in direct investment would be allocated for the development of the fields, creating over 2,000 new jobs.
To boost local participation, shipyards in Kazakhstan's Mangystau region will be engaged in building offshore oil production platforms, he said.
Tokayev noted that Lukoil has invested over 12 billion dollars in Kazakhstan's oil and gas industry since entering the country in 1995, producing 94 million tonnes of oil and 60 billion cubic meters of gas.
The company has also contributed around 300 million dollars to social and charitable projects, he said.
He noted that currently, Lukoil is also participating in the development of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. ■