FACTBOX-Kazakhstan oil blocks offered to investors

ALMATY, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan announced on Thursday it would abandon subsoil contracts favoured by oil companies due to their liberal tax regime but keep existing production sharing agreements intact.

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 item 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

ZHAMBYL