(Adds details, context)
ALMATY, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The consortium of oil majorsdeveloping the giant Kashagan oilfield in Kazakhstan has beguntest pumping, it said on Thursday, as the $50 billion projectprepares for commercial production.
The field off Kazakhstan's Caspian coast first startedproduction in 2013, but output was suspended shortly afterlaunch because of technical problems with the gas pipelines.
"NCOC confirms that, as part of the complex process ofcommissioning and testing now under way, hydrocarbons are beingintroduced to certain parts of the facilities, including thenewly replaced pipelines to shore," the North Caspian OperatingCompany said in a statement.
The NCOC consortium comprises China National Petroleum Corp, Exxon Mobil, Eni, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, Inpex and KazMunaiGas.
"Further information may be available once we reach initialstable production levels," its statement added.
The Kazakh Energy Ministry had mistakenly announced earlierin the day that production had started. It withdrew thestatement and said that initial output would begin in lateSeptember or early October.
Kashagan is initially expected to produce 75,000 barrels perday (bpd) in October, rising to between 150,000 and 180,000 bpdin the November-December period of this year. (Reporting by Mariya Gordeyeva; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov;Editing by Dmitry Solovyov and David Goodman)
