Uzbekistan, Tashkent, May 17 / Trend D. Azizov /
Uzbekistan in 2012 plans to increase natural gas exports by 25 percent - up to 15 billion cubic meters, a source in government circles told Trend during the international oil and gas exhibition, held in Tashkent.
According to the source, in the first quarter of this year, Uzbekistan almost doubled its gas exports compared to the same period last year - to nearly 35 million cubic meters per day and intends to maintain the positive dynamics of supply until the end of the year.
The growth in gas exports will be achieved through supplies to Russia, which accounts for about 90 percent of supplies, as well as to China.
"Until the end of 2012 we plan to supply to China two - four billion cubic meters of gas, this is a gas from Uzbek fields, it is available in sufficient quantity, there is good infrastructure for its supply to China," the source said.
As reported, in late 2011, Uztransgaz, a structural unit of the Uzbekneftegaz National Holding Company (NHC) and China's PetroChina International Company Limited (unit of China National Petroleum Corporation, CNPC) signed a firm contract on gas supplies at current international market prices.
According to the Uzbekneftegaz, the supply of Uzbek gas to China wA to start from April 1 this year.
In June 2010, Uzbekneftegaz and CNPC signed a framework agreement for the sale of natural gas of up to 10 billion cubic meters a year.
Natural gas will be transported via Central Asia - China gas pipeline.
To date, the total length of main gas pipelines in Uzbekistan in one line calculation is about 14,000 kilometers. In the north-western Uzbekistan, some powerful sections of Central Asia - Center and Bukhara-Ural gas transmission systems are laid and which are designed for transit and export of natural gas. In addition to Russia and China, exports of gas from Uzbekistan is carried out in small quantities to neighboring countries in the region - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The capacity of Uzbekneftegaz allows to ensure natural gas production in the amount of 70 billion cubic meters and liquid hydrocarbons in the amount of eight million tons per year.
In 2011 natural gas production in Uzbekistan decreased by 4.4 percent - to 63.036 billion cubic meters.