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Kazakhstan alleges $10.7B corruption tied to Kashagan oil project contracts
The claims are part of Kazakhstan's broader $160 billion case against the Kashagan consortium, and the arbitration tribunal has not yet ruled on the corruption allegations.
Kazakhstan has alleged that some of the major international oil companies behind the Kashagan oilfield awarded $10.7 billion in contracts linked to unjustified cost increases or bribery, according to reporting by OilPrice citing the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
The Kashagan field was developed by the North Caspian Project consortium, which includes Kazakhstan’s state oil firm KazMunayGas and international partners including Eni, Shell, ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, CNPC, and INPEX, OilPrice said.
Kazakhstan’s corruption allegation is being pursued in a confidential arbitration registered with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, and OilPrice reported that the tribunal has not yet issued any decision on the bribery and self-dealing claims.
OilPrice said the contract allegations are part of a larger $160 billion claim by Kazakhstan against Big Oil over lost production and profits, as well as environmental damage, in a broader dispute that also covers cost overruns, project delays, and environmental harm at Kashagan.