FACTBOX-Kazakhstan oil blocks offered to investors

ALMATY, April 7 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan may impose an oil export duty as soon as mid-2008 to stabilise domestic supplies, Deputy Energy Minister Lyazzat Kiinov told Reuters on Monday.

The measure is unlikely to affect big Western firms operating in the oil-rich Central Asian state, but would apply to those whose agreements stipulate flexible oil tax regimes, officials have said.

Since Kazakhstan plans to abandon the more flexible production sharing agreements (PSAs) altogether, most newcomers on the Kazakh market will have to pay the duty. For a story on this please click on [nL07588472].

Below is a list of key offshore oil blocks that Kazakhstan, a Caspian nation of 15 million, may offer investors in the near future. All numbers provided by the government.

DARKHAN

- Located in the centre of the Caspian Sea

- Reserves estimated at 1.5 billion tonnes (11 billion barrels), which makes it the largest among new blocks

- Negotiations with Chinese-led consortium which includes CNPC have lasted several years

"N" (ALSO KNOWN AS NURSULTAN)

- Located in the south of the Caspian Sea

- Reserves estimated at 637 million tonnes (4.65 billion barrels)

- Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) and ConocoPhillips (COP.N) once competed for the block, according to industry sources

- Kazakhstan last year awarded the PSA to state company KazMunaiGas [KMG.UL] which is likely to invite a foreign partner.