Chevron's Kazakh Venture Plans Maintenance Through August

Chevron Corp.'s Kazakh venture will carry out annual maintenance through August that will leave production lower than the daily average for the year.

TengizChevroil LLP will produce about 28,000 tons of crude a day in July and 33,000 tons a day in August during the turnaround, the Atyrau-based company said late yesterday in an e-mailed response to questions.

Chevron Chief Executive Officer David O'Reilly said in April that the venture planned to produce 18.7 million tons of oil this year, or about 51,092 tons a day.

Tengizchevroil, the nation's biggest crude producer, said it conducts maintenance every year to ``secure safe and reliable operations for the technically challenging operated oil fields'' at Tengis and Korolev.

Chevron holds 50 percent in the project. Exxon Mobil Corp. has 25 percent, KazMunaiGaz National Co. has 20 percent and OAO Lukoil's LukArko owns 5 percent.