Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Oct. 4 / Trend D. Azizov /
Uzbekistan plans to allocate $1 billion on the integrated gas fields development project in Gazlin region till 2012, a governmental source told Trend.
The source said that the draft provides for the development of "Kulbeshkak", "Khojikazgan", "Dayahatin", "Suzma", "Kumli" and "Chegarakum" fields discovered in early 1990s, as well as the fields have not been discovered yet.
The fields will be developed to fill the resource hydrocarbon base of the Republic and to increase gas exports.
The project implementation will allow extracting 5 billion cubic meters of gas annually at these fields by 2021.
The project will be financed at the expense of the National Holding Company "Uzbekneftegaz" worth $ 685.5 million, a loan of the Uzbek Reconstruction and Development Fund - $156 million and a loan of the Chinese Eximbank - $158.5 million.
"Gazli" gas field has been exploited since 1961. Initial gas reserves hit about 500 billion cubic meters. At present, gas reserves are exhausted.
About 232 hydrocarbon deposits, including 183 gas fields have been discovered as of early 2011.
Uzbekneftegaz, the monopoly operator of the oil and gas sector of Uzbekistan, was established in 1998. It includes six joint stock companies.