KazMunayGas chief Askhat Khassenov met TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to discuss the next phase of the North Caspian (Kashagan) project and review ongoing cooperation on the 1 gigawatt Mirny wind project, KazMunayGas' press service announced on Nov. 3. The meeting followed a Bloomberg report that Kazakhstan and ExxonMobil were in talks to expand Kashagan's production, signaling renewed attention on one of the country's most strategically important energy assets.