DUSHANBE, June 26, 2015, Asia-Plus — Gazprom International, an affiliate of Russia’s state-controlled company Gazprom, is making preparations for exploration operations at the Western Shohambari field.
An official source at the Main Geology Directorate under the Government of Tajikistan says Gazprom International plans to launch exploration operations at the Western Shohambari field in the second half of this year.
According to him, a joint meeting of the Main Geology Directorate, the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan, Gazprom International (Gazprom EP International BV), and Gazprom Zarubezhneftegaz that took place here on June 24 discussed issues related to carrying out exploration operations in Gazprom’s licensed areas in Tajikistan.
We will recall that Gazprom International completed exploration operations at the Sariqamish gas field last year. Gazprom International concluded the Shahrinav-1P wildcat well test last summer. They reached the target well depth of 6,450 meters.
Gazprom now has licenses to explore two oil-and-gas reserves in Tajikistan: Sariqamish and the Western Shohambari. In September 2013, Gazprom’s licenses for exploration of Sariqamish and Western Shohambari fields were extended for five years.
During his visit to Tajikistan, Gazprom chief Alexei Miller told journalists on September 18, 2013 that his company is interested in obtaining more licenses to explore natural-gas fields in Tajikistan. According to Miller, Gazprom has invested some $150 million in two major natural-gas fields in Tajikistan”s north since 2010.
In August 2013, Gazprom reportedly announced an additional $15 million investment in its operations at the Sariqamish gas field.
Cooperation between the Tajik government and Russia’s state-controlled company Gazprom is regulated by a long-term (till 2028) agreement on strategic cooperation in the gas industry signed between Gazprom and Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy in Dushanbe on May 15, 2003 and a memorandum of intent on launching joint Tajik-Russian enterprises of March 28, 2006. Gazprom has been working in Tajikistan on providing the beginning of geological explorations since July 2006.
According to expert estimates, the aggregate raw-materials resources of the oil and gas bearing areas in Tajikistan amount to about 1,000 billion tons of reference fuel. At the same time, production work at oil and gas fields require considerable expenditure, since hydrocarbon deposits occur at depths ranging from 6.5 to 8 kilometers.
