DUSHANBE, January 22, 2015, Asia-Plus — Gazprom International, which is an affiliate of Russia’s state-controlled company Gazprom, has explored large reserves of hydrocarbons in Tajikistan, which are unfit for industrial use, Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Usmonzoda announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 21.
He noted that Gazprom International last year completed exploration operations at the Sariqamish gas field. “Eight potential gas-and-oil-bearing strata that are unfit for industrial use have been explored,” the minister said.
Asked about rumors that Gazprom International is going to leave Tajikistan, Usmonzoda denied them as unfounded.
“The Gazprom institutes will study the exploration operation results during this year and the second point for drilling will be determined,” the minister noted.
He further added that Gazprom International would launch the exploration operations at the Western Shohambari field this year.
We will recall that Gazprom has given up exploration and development of Sargazon and Rengan gas fields in Tajikistan and decided to focus on exploration and development of the Sariqamish and Western Shohambari gas fields.
Gazprom International completed the drilling of the Shahrinva-1P wildcat well at the Sariqamish field on June 11, 2014. They reached the target well depth of 6,450 meters.
Gazprom’s licenses for exploration of the Sariqamish and Western Shohambari fields were extended for five years in September 2013.
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.
