Kazakhstan may have to halt Tengiz work over coronavirus spread

Work may have to be halted at the giant Tengiz oilfield if management and local authorities fail to curb the spread of coronavirus cases among workers, Kazakhstan's chief sanitary doctor said on Wednesday.

There have been 935 cases of COVID-19 reported among Tengiz workers, out of the former Soviet republic's total of 6,969 cases, Aizhan Yesmagambetova told a briefing. A government commission has adopted a special plan to curb the virus' spread.

"At the moment, it is necessary to ensure control over the implementation of this plan, otherwise it may lead to growth in the number of cases, isolation, and natural shutdown of the company or forced shutdown of the company," she said. Tengiz, developed by Chevron-led joint venture Tengizchevroil (TCO), accounts for a third of Kazakhstan's oil output. Exxon Mobil, Russia's LUKOIL, and Kazakh state energy firm KazMunayGaz also have stakes in TCO.

"Currently, TCO production continues uninterrupted and we remain focused on maintaining safe and reliable operations," the company said in a statement. The venture has delayed planned maintenance, reduced the number of its own and contractors' staff deployed at the site, and reduced work on a $45 billion expansion project in order to curb the outbreak.

"The reduction has and continues to take place in a safe, phased and controlled manner according to a previously developed and approved plan," TCO said. The company said it has developed COVID-19 testing to proactively identify people who may have been exposed to the virus. A hospital has been established in Tengiz to handle mild and asymptomatic cases.