DUSHANBE
, June 19 Asia-Plus — Supplies of natural gas to industrial enterprises of
Tajikistan
has resumed.
We will recall that natural gas supplies to industrial enterprises in
Dushanbe
and some enterprises in the southern
province
of
Khatlon
were cut off last Friday [June 16] following the accident on the 292
nd
kilometer of the Qyzyltumshuq-Dushanbe gas pipeline. According to information from the Ministry of Industry, “Tojikcement” (
Dushanbe
cement-producing plant) and Tojikazot” (fertilizer-producing plant in Khatlon) have resumed their activities.
As it had been reported earlier, the accident took place at the gas-distributing facility of the gas pipeline in the Tajik district of Rudaki, some 20 kilometers of
Dushanbe
. An explosion took place at the gas-distributing facility on the night of June 15-16, at about
1:10 a.m.
as a result of gas escape. Specialists from “Tojikgaz” (Tajik state gas concern) were sent to the site to repair the facility and remove the accident effects.
“The blast effects were removed and supplies of natural gas to the industrial enterprises in
Dushanbe
resumed,” the source in the Tajik state gas concern said.
In the meantime, residents of
Dushanbe
have not had natural gas so far. Supplies of natural gas to the public were cut off in early May already because of a large debt of Tajik state gas concern to Uztransgaz for earlier shipments. This debt has amounted to US$3.5 million so far, according to the source.
Tajikistan
plans to increase its imports of Uzbek gas up to 70 million cubic meters this year, despite the increase in prices from last year’s rate of US$42 to US$55 per 1,000 cubic meters. Under a limited gas rationing instituted by the government Uzbek is currently supplied only to the larger of the country’s industrial enterprises.
