Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament has endorsed changes and addenda made to the country’s law on petroleum and natural gas. The amendments are expected to create a favorable environment for the development of Tajikistan’s petroleum and gas industry.
A regular sitting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon, presided over by its head Mahmadtoir Zokirzoda, took place on May 26.
Presenting the document to lawmakers, the Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma, in particular, noted that amending the petroleum and natural gas law is a timely step.
The current law was passed on May 15, 2015, and with time and changing conditions there is need to amend the law.
“These amendments create a favorable environment for the development of the country’s petroleum and gas sector,” the minister said
“Oil production and use of petroleum products have been established in the country since Soviet times, and 25 oil and gas fields have been in operation in Tajikistan to date,” said Juma. “During the Soviet era, the annual oil production capacity reached 400,000 tons. Currently, oil and gas fields are at the stage of development, and annual oil production has significantly decreased in the country – to 25,000 tons.”
The amendments reportedly also provide for expansion of powers of the authorized government body in the field of oil and gas and elimination of contradictions and shortcomings in the current legislation.
According to the forecasts of the Ministry of Economic Development and trade of Tajikistan, the annual oil production will be increased from current 25,000 tons to 27,300 tons by 2025 and the annual natural gas production will be increased from 810,000 cubic meters to 1.131 million cubic meters by 2025.
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.
