'Kazakhastan blocked ONGC's bid to buy stake in oilfield'

Kazakhstan govt has used its first right of refusal to facilitate the deal for its oil company KazMunayGaz (KMG)

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Wednesday confirmed that it had lost the $5-billion (Rs 30,000 crore) bid for ConocoPhillips’ stake at Kashagan oilfield in Kazakhstan, as the Kazakhstan government has used its first right of refusal to facilitate the deal for its oil company KazMunayGaz (KMG).

“Based on the communication received through ConocoPhillips (COP), the Government of Kazakhstan has announced that in accordance with the Republic of Kazakhstan Law (ROK) on subsurface and subsurface use, ROK has exercised its priority right and pre-empted the bid by ONGC Videsh to acquire the 8.4 per cent stake of ConocoPhillips in the North Caspian Sea Production Sharing Agreement (NCS PSA),” ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) said in a statement.

It is believed it was the Chinese national oil company, China National Petroleum Corp that has managed to overturn OVL’s bid. ONGC Videsh finalised the agreements in November 2012 for acquisition of 8.4 per cent participating interest of ConocoPhillips in the NCS PSA.

“The bid of ONGC Videsh was not pre-empted by the co-venturers of the NCS PSA within the stipulated time period that ended in January 2013,” the statement added.

The Kashagan field, located in the shallow waters of the Kazakh North Caspian Sea, is the world's largest current development project. Kashagan’s consortium partners are Eni, Total, Shell, ExxonMobil and KazMunaiGaz, each with 16.81 per cent stake, while ConocoPhillips holds 8.4 per cent and Inpex has 7.56 per cent.