BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 11
By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend:
The choice of the operator for the Dostluk field depends on the decision of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, Russian Ambassador to Turkmenistan Alexander Blokhin said at a briefing, Trend reports.
Previously known as 'Serdar' field, the Dostluk located on the border of Azerbaijani and Turkmen sectors of the Caspian Sea.
Russia welcomes the agreement between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan on the joint development of the Dostluk oil field in the Caspian Sea, said the ambassador.
As the ambassador noted, the choice of the project operator company depends on the decision of the two parties involved.
“Russia's Lukoil company, as I understand, is ready to implement the project. But for this, in addition to the arrangement, there should be a corresponding agreement, which would reflect how it all should happen, who will be the operator and how the financing will go — this is a long process," Blokhin stressed.
Answering the question whether Moscow has changed its view on the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline in connection with the Turkmen-Azerbaijani agreement on the Dostluk field, Blokhin noted that the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline is a completely different topic, which has nothing to do with Dostluk field.
“I have read reports that we have agreed and now can build a gas pipeline. Let's start with the fact that Dostluk is not a gas field, but an oil field, with quite serious oil reserves. There is associated gas there, as always, but not in enough volumes to talk about it," he said.
Lukoil is in talks to join the Dostluk field, located on the border of the Azerbaijani and Turkmen sectors of the Caspian Sea, and expects to become the operator of the field.
"Negotiations are underway, and we are actively involved in this process. We are very grateful to both President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for involving Lukoil in this process. The next intergovernmental agreement and agreement on the PSA is being prepared. We would like to be the operator of this project, but we do not know the share yet," Lukoil’s president and co-owner Vagit Alekperov said earlier.
On January 21, this year, the Foreign Ministers of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan signed a Memorandum of understanding in Ashgabat on joint exploration, development and development of this hydrocarbon field.
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