Oil output at Kazakh Kashagan oilfield down to 180,000 bpd -sources

MOSCOW, March 26 (Reuters) - Oil production at the Kashaganoilfield has fallen to 180,000 barrels per day from 300,000barrels per day around March 20, three industry sources toldReuters.

It was not immediately clear what the reason was for thesharp fall in daily production.

"It should be maintenance," - one source said, but addedthat it was not planned.

North Caspian Oil Consortium (NCOC), the operator of theKashagan oilfield, has not answered a request for comment.

Oil production at Kashagan reached 300,000 barrels per dayin January this year, while a rise in output to 370,000 barrelsper day is expected during 2018.

Kashagan crude is exported via the Caspian pipelineconsortium (CPC). In April CPC plans to export 5.08 milliontonnes of CPC Blend.

The Kashagan consortium includes Kazakh state oil firmKazMunayGaz, Eni, ExxonMobil, RoyalDutch Shell, Total, China's CNPCand Japan's Inpex.(Reporting by Olga Yagova and Alla Afanasyeva, writing by OlgaYagova, editing by David Evans)