LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's energy ministry

has requested shareholders in the giant Kashagan oilfield delay

to next year maintenance planned to begin at the site in

October, citing gas shortages, trading sources with knowledge of

the matter said.

The ministry made the request in a letter sent in recent

days to partners in the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC)

consortium that operates Kashagan, two of the sources said.

A decision was expected to be made on Sept. 10, they added.

The 400,000 barrels per day field was scheduled to be shut

down in October for maintenance that was planned to last 28

days.

The Kazakh energy ministry did not immediately reply to a

request for comment.

NCOC said that maintenance at Kashagan was scheduled and

that the start of the work would be announced on its website,

without providing details.

The offshore Kashagan field, one of the biggest discoveries

in recent decades, is being developed by Eni, Shell

, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil ( XOM ),

KazMunayGas, Inpex ( IPXHF ) and CNPC.

Kazakhstan has committed to reduce its oil output as part of

a global deal between major oil producers led by Saudi Arabia

and Russia, a group known as OPEC+.