Operators of Kazakhstan’s huge Kashagan oil field are considering a temporary solution to resume output, halted indefinitely since mid-October after a series of dangerous gas leaks, people with direct knowledge of the plan said. Before the stoppage, sour and toxic gas coming off the offshore field in the Caspian Sea was separated from crude oil, and sent to an onshore processing plant via a 56-mile pipeline. But the pipe is plagued by leaks and the North Caspian Operating Co. running the $50 billion project has yet to determine how to fix it. Releasing the potentially lethal gas into the air or flaring it isn’t an option because of safety and environmental regulations. Exxon Mobil Corp. , Royal Dutch Shell PLC, and other members of the NCOC consortium are now looking into a makeshift solution that would involve re-injecting the gas into the ground, the people familiar with the matter […]