It's hard to believe that ExxonMobil's (XOM -2.78%), Royal Dutch Shell's (RDS.B), and Total's (TTE 1.10%) Kashagan project could get any more difficult, but recent pipeline leaks that caused a release of hydrogen sulfide gas are just more setbacks that have kept this project from operation. Each of these companies believe the project will get going again quickly, but who's to say it won't run into another major problem down the road?

With the consortium of companies spending nearly $50 billion dollars to get this project up and running, these minor setbacks can cause major headaches. Unfortunately, there is probably no way out for any of these companies, even if they wanted one. Tune into the video below to find out why it's so hard to walk away, and how this could impact these companies down the road.