Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev told Reuters he expects to receive preliminary results of arbitration proceedings against international oil majors by December.

Kazakhstan initiated arbitration proceedings last year against companies developing its giant oil fields in Kashagan and Karachaganak, for $13 billion and $3.5 billion, respectively, over disputed costs.The offshore Kashagan field, one of the world's largest discoveries in recent decades, is being developed by Eni, Shell, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, KazMunayGaz, Inpex and CNPC. Their consortium-the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC)-has invested about $50 billion in the project. Eni, Shell and KazMunayGaz are also partners in Karachaganak, along with Chevron and LUKOIL, with investments exceeding $27 billion. Bloomberg News reported in April that Kazakhstan has increased arbitration claims against the Kashagan consortium to more than $150 billion, but neither the government nor the companies have disclosed details of the claims. "Everything about the claim is confidential information. We are discussing the execution of the terms of the production sharing agreement on Kashagan and Karachaganak," Satkaliyev told Reuters.

Kazakhstan has a history of multibillion-dollar claims against international companies, which they say the government uses to increase its shares in key oil and gas projects in what amounts to "resource nationalism."

Kazakh authorities have dismissed such criticism, saying their goal is to rein in costs inflated by Western majors.

Kazakhstan, Central Asia's largest landlocked economy, places growth expectations on the Kashagan and has for years expressed concerns about excessive costs and delays in its development.

Crude oil from the field contains high concentrations of poisonous hydrogen sulfide, which complicates the extraction process. Its production reached about 380,000 barrels per day last year.

Satkaliyev added that Kazakhstan's oil exports to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline are expected to stand at 1.2 million metric tons (24,000 barrels per day) this year, while Germany seeks to increase imports to 2.5 million tons per year.

Kazakhstan's role as an oil exporter has strengthened following Western sanctions against Russian oil for the war in Ukraine.

While remaining an ally of Moscow, Kazakhstan has not taken sides in the conflict and has not supported Moscow's claims to some Ukrainian territories.

Germany has expressed interest in expanding trade with Kazakhstan, while ensuring that it does not serve to circumvent European sanctions against Russia.

(Translated by Alejandra Rosales, editing Antonella Cinelli)