Baku, Azerbaijan, April 20
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
Russian Lukoil intends to export up to 80 percent of the oil produced in Uzbekistan to China, company’s Vice-President Sergei Nikiforov told reporters on April 20, Uzbek media outlets reported.
“We export gas only in two directions. The main one is the Chinese direction, with the other one being the northern direction - Kazakhstan and Russia. About 60-70 percent is currently being supplied to China. We plan to increase the figure to 80 percent with production growth. The rest will be supplied in the northern direction,” Nikiforov noted.
According to him, Bukhara Oil Refinery buys all the gas condensate produced in the country, which is about half a million tons, where it is being processed and supplied to the domestic market thereafter. Nikiforov also added that the Lukoil is planning to produce about 18 billion cubic meters of gas in Uzbekistan in 2019.
He added that the Kandym gas processing complex will reach its peak output of 8 billion cubic meters in June.
“The gas rate-plateau in 8 billion cubic meters will last for 9-10 years. But even after that, the plant will be provided with gas, as there are satellite deposits around it. The company intends to return the invested funds to Uzbekistan (over $10 billion) no later than 2022,” Nikiforov said.
The Lukoil put the Kandym Gas Processing Complex (KGPC) located in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan into operation on April 19.
Kandym GPC is the largest investment project of the Lukoil in Uzbekistan. The complex with the capacity of 8 billion cubic meters of gas per year will process hydrogen sulphide gas to produce refined gas, stable gas condensate and commercial sulfur. The facility consists of two production lines, terminals for the shipment of commodity products, including the gas export through the main gas pipeline.
The gas will be supplied from the Kandym group of gas fields located in the Karakul region, near the border with Turkmenistan: Kandym, Kuvachi-Alat, Akkum, Parsankul, Khoji, Western Khoji. Some 77 wells have already been drilled and a modern system for natural gas collection has been created.
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