DUSHANBE, December 19, 2008, Asia-Plus — On Thursday December 18, President Emomali Rahmon received Dr David Robson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada’s Tethys Petroleum Limited (Tethys), according to presidential press service.
Issues related to cooperation between Tajikistan and Tethys were the focus of the talks, and Dr. Robson informed the president of the results of work carried out by the company in Tajikistan so far.
The Tehtys CEO, in particular, noted that the company had launched workover operations on the Komsomolsk gas field, north of Dushanbe, and the Khoja Sartez field in Kulob. In the near future, Tethys intends to supply natural gas to Dushanbe and Kulob, Mr. Robson said, adding that the company intends to provide Dushanbe with local natural gas this winter at the rate of 15,000 to 100,000 cubic meters per day, the press service said.
Mr. Robson assured the president that Tethys would make considerable contribution to providing residential customers and industrial facilities of the country with natural gas by the end of 2010.
According to him, to achieve this goal the company is delivering all necessary equipment to the country and exploration of the gas fields is under way.
He further added that successful activity of Tethys in Tajikistan was evidence of favorable political and investment climate in the country, presidential press service said.
At the end of the meeting, Tethys Petroleum’s Chairman & CEO Dr. David Robson noted that under an agreement signed with the Ministry of Energy and Industries his company would conduct US$10 million worth of seismic work at gas fields in Tajikistan.
Tethys is an independent upstream energy focused on oil and gas exploration and production activities in Central Asia firm with a focus on Central Asia with activities currently in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. This highly prolific oil and gas area is rapidly developing and Tethys believes that significant potential exists in both exploration and in discovered deposits.
We will recall that Tethys 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.
According to information posted on Tethys’ website, two oil and gas basins exist in Tajikistan. In the north, the Ferghana Basin has produced oil since 1900 and although the shallower potential is now limited, deeper potential still exists in this basin. In the south west of the country lies the Tajik-Afghan Basin, and extension of the prolific Amu Darya Basin which has some of the largest gas fields in the world.
