DUSHANBE, December 10, 2008, Asia-Plus — Workover operations are underway on the Komsomolsk gas field north of Dushanbe, with the intention of producing gas in the short term. KOM180, the first well in the workover program, has been successfully reentered and is currently undergoing testing with an initial gas flow on a small 4mm choke of 10 thousand cubic meters per day, according to office of Tethys Petroleum Limited (Tethys) in Dushanbe.
“At this field, which was considered to be used-up and was supposed to be shut down, we have revealed some horizons having gas due to use of the latest technologies, in particular the American geophysical station, modern perforating materials and neutron-neutron logging,” the source said.
Additional testing will be carried out over the next few weeks on larger choke sizes. There are several targets on the Komsomolsk gas field, which has existing gas pipeline infrastructure and is in close proximity to Dushanbe”s gas grid.
The source added that they were currently working on development of the well KOM183.
Workover operations are also commencing on the Beshtentak oil field in the Baljuvon region and are planned to commence shortly on the Khoja Sartez gas condensate field near Kulob, both with the intention of achieving early production.
Kulob Petroleum Limited, the Contractor under the Bokhtar PSC and 100% subsidiary of Tethys, has signed a contract to acquire up to 1,000 km of seismic within its PSC area with the Kazakh Geophysical Company (“KazGeo”). It is expected that KazGeo will mobilize equipment to Tajikistan in early January 2009 to commence seismic activities. This satisfies part of the minimum work program under the Bokhtar PSC and will satisfy all of the minimum work program funding requirements until year-end 2009. This seismic will be focused on existing discoveries and new exploration targets.
Tethys, an independent upstream energy firm with a focus on Central Asia, on June 13 this year signed a deal with Tajikistan to develop five natural gas fields here. Following the signing ceremony, Tajik Energy and Industries Minister Gul Sherali said that under the agreement the company is granted licenses for 56 gas and oil fields in Tajikistan, including five gas fields such as Khoja Sartez, Uzunohor, Pushiyon and South Pushiyon. According to him, the fields have total estimated reserves of 1,500 billion cubic meters. The production sharing deal gives Tajikistan 30 percent of output at the first stage and 50 percent once Tethys recovers its costs, Gul said.
