Press Release
Public Hearings on the Kashagan Field Development Project Spark Protests and Questions from Residents and Environmentalists
Dossor, Atyrau Region – October 9, 2025.
NCOC held public hearings on the Kashagan oil field development project, focused on assessing the project’s environmental impact through 2050. The event was met with sharp criticism and protests from environmental organizations and local residents.
A key concern raised by participants was the legal validity of the hearings themselves. Civil activists argued that the hearings could not be considered legitimate since the company’s production sharing agreement expires in 2041, while the presented project extends to 2050. According to NCOC representatives, the latter date reflects the “period of profitable extraction,” but activists found this explanation insufficient.
Environmentalists emphasized that the project relies on outdated data and fails to account for critical environmental changes — particularly the falling level of the Caspian Sea, shifts in wind patterns, wave height, and air temperature. None of these risks are reflected in the current project documentation. Moreover, the report omits data on greenhouse gas emissions, including methane.
Galina Chernovа, co-founder of the Save the Caspian Sea movement, stated that the company continues to use the 2021 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which no longer reflects current climate conditions:
“These figures do not represent the real environmental threats and show that the company lacks a long-term and responsible ecological strategy. We do not accept their responses or this project in its current form until we receive clear and honest data,” Chernovа said.
When asked about alternative scenarios in the event of further sea recession, NCOC representatives said the company plans to build a road to the island, as it intends to drill five additional wells, with a subsequent increase to 168. Civil society representatives expressed doubts about the feasibility and environmental safety of such measures.
Activists also raised socio-economic issues, particularly those related to public health in nearby settlements such as Makat and Dossor. Residents link the rise in cancer rates and overall health deterioration to hydrogen sulfide emissions and other industrial pollutants.
“We have been waiting 21 years for the promised jobs and real development in our region,” said representatives of the local community.
Environmental movements and grassroots groups expressed firm opposition to the proposed project. In their view, the document lacks transparency, relies on outdated data, fails to address cumulative risks, and does not meet current environmental challenges. Activists are demanding new, legitimate, and truly public hearings — with full translation, participation of independent experts, and up-to-date information reflecting the real condition of the Caspian ecosystem.
Public Hearings on the Kashagan Field Development Project Spark Protests and Questions from Residents and Environmentalists
Dossor, Atyrau Region – October 9, 2025.
NCOC held public hearings on the Kashagan oil field development project, focused on assessing the project’s environmental impact through 2050. The event was met with sharp criticism and protests from environmental organizations and local residents.
A key concern raised by participants was the legal validity of the hearings themselves. Civil activists argued that the hearings could not be considered legitimate since the company’s production sharing agreement expires in 2041, while the presented project extends to 2050. According to NCOC representatives, the latter date reflects the “period of profitable extraction,” but activists found this explanation insufficient.
Environmentalists emphasized that the project relies on outdated data and fails to account for critical environmental changes — particularly the falling level of the Caspian Sea, shifts in wind patterns, wave height, and air temperature. None of these risks are reflected in the current project documentation. Moreover, the report omits data on greenhouse gas emissions, including methane.
Galina Chernovа, co-founder of the Save the Caspian Sea movement, stated that the company continues to use the 2021 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which no longer reflects current climate conditions:
“These figures do not represent the real environmental threats and show that the company lacks a long-term and responsible ecological strategy. We do not accept their responses or this project in its current form until we receive clear and honest data,” Chernovа said.
When asked about alternative scenarios in the event of further sea recession, NCOC representatives said the company plans to build a road to the island, as it intends to drill five additional wells, with a subsequent increase to 168. Civil society representatives expressed doubts about the feasibility and environmental safety of such measures.
Activists also raised socio-economic issues, particularly those related to public health in nearby settlements such as Makat and Dossor. Residents link the rise in cancer rates and overall health deterioration to hydrogen sulfide emissions and other industrial pollutants.
“We have been waiting 21 years for the promised jobs and real development in our region,” said representatives of the local community.
Environmental movements and grassroots groups expressed firm opposition to the proposed project. In their view, the document lacks transparency, relies on outdated data, fails to address cumulative risks, and does not meet current environmental challenges. Activists are demanding new, legitimate, and truly public hearings — with full translation, participation of independent experts, and up-to-date information reflecting the real condition of the Caspian ecosystem.
