President Ilham Aliyev receives US special envoy for Eurasian Energy
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Special Envoy of the United States Secretary of State for Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar.
The meeting focused on US-Azerbaijan bilateral relations and prospects for energy cooperation.
EU Special Representative discusses Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline project in Ashgabat
EU Special Representative for Central Asia Pierre Morel discussed implementation of the Trans-Caspian pipeline project at a meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov.
Baku hosts conference
Baku hosted a conference on the topic "European dimension of Caspian Energy", jointly organized by the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SAM), the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR).
Ashgabat hosts int'l conference
An exhibition "Turkmenistan Oil and Gas- 2011" and a conference opened in Ashgabat. On the agenda were the issues of development of Turkmenistan's oil and gas industry for 20 years of independence and the prospects of international cooperation.
Around 500 representatives from oil, gas and service companies from Azerbaijan, the U.S, Russia, Great Britain, China, and France, UAE, Japan and several European countries attended the forum.
The conference discussed issues on interaction in energy sphere, particularly, additional gas pipeline to Russia (Caspian - via Kazakhstan), Europe (Nabucco - via the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan) and India (the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline via Pakistan).
Turkmenistan, Pakistan sign declaration on gas purchase
After the talks between Turkmenistan and Pakistan a Joint Declaration on the sale of gas on Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project was signed in Islamabad. The Declaration was signed as a result of Turkmen President Gurbanguly
Berdimuhammadov's recent visit to Islamabad. He held talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
SOCAR buys out Exxon Mobil's Swiss division
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) signed agreement with Exxon Mobil over acquisition of its Swiss division, Esso Schweiz GmbH.
The agreement was signed between SOCAR and Exxon Mobil Central Europe Holding GmbH in Zurich, Switzerland.
The company will work under the Esso brand within 12 months after change of the owner. De-branding of business related to aviation, trucks, and oil storage tanks will be carried out 30 days after the completion of the transaction.
All existing contract commitments and production process will remain unchanged during the transitional period.
Following the completion of the transitional process in the third quarter of 2012, the company will start providing services under the new brand-SOCAR.
Following the acquisition of Esso Switzerland, the SOCAR has taken over a retail network consisting of 170 filling stations, a division specialized in fuel marketing for industry and wholesale clients (this division is responsible for household fuel and balloon gas sale to independent suppliers throughout Switzerland), gas filling station Wangen-Olten, filling stations, joint ventures specialized in aircraft fuelling at the Airports of Geneva and Zurich, and the Swiss Provision and Supply Company that controls joint ventures managing terminals and pipelines.
Azerbaijan's mining companies assume new obligations within EITI report
The meeting of the Multi-stakeholder Group (MSG) on implementation of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Azerbaijan discussed 2012 EITI Work plan, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan said. Inclusion of social and customs payments to EITI reports, draft amendments to the Memorandum prepared by the Working Group and other issues on EITI implementation in Azerbaijan were discussed and appropriate decisions were made at the meeting
BP ceases using extractive platform for planned operations in Azerbaijan
BP, the operator developing the block of offshore fields Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli in Azerbaijan, has recently stopped work on the Western Azeri platform which is part of the technical maintenance programme of three extractive platforms in the Caspian Sea. The platform will be commissioned at the end of the month. According to the plan, the production on the three platforms, Eastern Azeri, Western Azeri and Central Azeri will be suspended in a planned sequence to ensure efficient technical maintenance. When working on one, the other two platforms located on the Azeri field will continue working.
Geophysical research starts on prospective block in Azerbaijani sector of Caspian Sea
Caspian Geophysical has launched 3D geophysical research on the Shafag-Asiman prospective block in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. SOCAR and the British BP are participants in the block's development. According to the contract, BP has taken on greater responsibility for the work on this block because it is located at a water depth of 750 meters. The projected reserves of Shafag Asiman are 500 billion cubic meters of gas and 65 million tons of condensate, SOCAR First Vice-President Khoshbakht Yusifzade said earlier.
Caspian Pipeline Consortium kicks off project on extension in Kazakhstan
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium kicked off a project on extension in Kazakhstan. The first stage of the project includes constructing oil pumping station in the cities of Tengiz and Atyrau and replacing welded pipes in the 88-kilometer sector of the highway by ones with large diameter. Kazakh oil, from the existing fields, including large Tengiz and Karachaganak and from Kashagan, where commercial production is expected to start in December 2012 - June 2013, will enter the extended pipeline system in the long term outlook. The total amount of investments will hit $5.4 billion.
Lukoil, Malaysian firm to build booster compressor station in Uzbekistan
Lukoil Uzbekistan and Malaysia's KNM Berhad Group (KNM) have signed a contract to construct a booster compressor station on the Khauzak-Shady plot worth about $72 million. According to the contract, KNM will develop working documents, supply equipment and render services for the supervision, installation, commissioning and staff training. The contract's implementation term is about two years.
Uzbekneftegaz commissions compressor station on Dengizkul field
National Holding Company (NHC) "Uzbekneftegaz" commissioned a booster compressor station on the gas condensate field "Dengizkul" (Kashkadarya, south of Uzbekistan) worth $77 million. Construction of the booster compressor station with capacity 3 billion cubic meters of gas per year was carried out within upgrading gas production facilities on the "Dengizkul" field. A preliminary gas preparation unit was reconstructed within the project. Ukrainian JSC Sumy Frunze NPO is supplier of main equipment.