* Total looking to sell part of its 16.8% stake -sources
* Total hopes to raise up to $4 billion from sale
* Has held talks with Chinese oil firm which failed
By Katya Golubkova, Ron Bousso and Shadia Nasralla
LONDON/MOSCOW, May 24 (Reuters) - France's Totalis seeking to sell part of its stake in Kazakhstan's giantKashagan oilfield to raise up to $4 billion, four bankingsources said.
Total holds a 16.8% stake in Kashagan, one of the world'slargest oil fields with production of around 400,000 barrels perday, and is seeking to sell around one third of its stake,according to the sources.
Total's entire stake is estimated to be worth up to $9billion, the sources said.
Total declined to comment.
Kashagan, the world's biggest oil find in decades and themost expensive standalone oil project, took an estimated $50billion and 13 years to develop before starting in 2016.
The French energy company has held talks with a Chinesenational oil company about a stake sale in recent months, butthe sides were unable to agree on a price, according to twosources.
Total is not using any external bankers in the sale process,one of the sources said.
The sale would be a welcome cash boost for Total as itprepares to buy $8.8 billion of oil and gas assets in Africafrom Occidental Petroleum should its acquisition of U.S.rival Anadarko go through.
Kashagan is operated by the North Caspian Operating Company(NCOC) and the other partners in the field are Eni,Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil, KazMunayGas, Inpex and China National PetroleumCorp.
Kashagan, located in the Caspian sea where temperaturesthroughout the year can drop to below 30 Celsius and rise above40 Celsius, is expected to produce 370,000-400,000 barrels perday early next month after undergoing maintenance.
Under Kazakh law, companies selling stakes in projects likeKashagan have to offer them to the Kazakh government first andcan only sell to third parties if the government chooses not tobuy.
Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry could not be immediatelyreached for comment.
(Additional reporting by Bate Felix in Paris, Mariya Gordeyevain Almaty; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
