Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan.17
By Demir Azizov- Trend:
Gazprom JSC increased its gas production in Uzbekistan by five percent in 2013 compared to 2012 amounting to 315 million cubic meters, Gazprom EP International, operator of JSC projects abroad, said.
Gazprom produces natural gas at the Shakhpakhty field in North-West Uzbekistan.
Reconstruction and additional development of Shakhpakhty is Gazprom International's pilot project in Uzbekistan, implemented on the terms of a production sharing agreement (PSA), signed in 2004 for 15 years.
During 2013, Gazprom International experts carried out repairs on seven wells at the field and commissioned four new ones. At present, the current operational fund of wells at Shakhpakhty amounts to 20 units. Average daily gas production taking into account corrections in the production schedule, was equal to 940,000 cubic meters.
The Shakhpakhty gas condensate field located in the Ustyurt plateau in Karakalpakstan (northwest Uzbekistan), was opened in 1962. Initial gas reserves of an industrial category were approved to 46.5 billion cubic meters. Industrial production began in 1974 and reached 2.5 billion cubic meters per year.
During the period of operation, 36.5 billion cubic meters of gas was produced from the field accounting for 78.5 percent of the initial approved reserves. Currently Shakhpakhty's recoverable reserves are estimated at eight billion cubic meters.
Production at the field was terminated and the wells suspended in 2002. Within the licence to develop four productive formations of the field, Gazprom has carried out work on reconstruction, drilling of new wells and production of raw materials since 2004.
Gas produced at Shakhpakhty is delivered to the Karakalpakstan compressor station and then supplied to consumers via Central Asia-Centre gas pipeline. The total volume of gas produced by Gazprom in the field since 2004 is 2.5 billion cubic meters.
In February 2012, Gazprom declared the completion of geological exploratory work at a total cost of $400 million in Uzbekistan's Ustyurt region and the intention to expand the resource base of projects in the republic.
Translated by L.Z.
Edited by S.M.