AGIP-KCO, the consortium operating the giant Kashagan oil field in Kazakhstan, wants to push back the first production at the field further to 2012-13, a spokeswoman with the Kazakhstan energy ministry said Monday.

In January, following the negotiations with the Kazakhstan government and the consortium led by Italy's Eni, it emerged that the startup of oil production at the field was likely to be postponed to late 2011 from the latest deadline set for the second half of 2010.

The consortium is in talks with the energy ministry to agree on the development plan for the second stage of the project and is expected to make an announcement on the project's cost and timeline on June. ... Read full article