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Major events in Caspian countries' oil and gas industry for week (Jan.28-Feb.2)

Analysis Materials 5 February 2013 15:22 (UTC +04:00)

BP claims about rigorous health, safety and environment procedures in Caspian Sea

BP company, the operator of major oil and gas production projects in Azerbaijan, has rigorous processes and procedures for health, safety and environment which are carried out in line with international standards, the company said. In recent days, Iranian officials have come forward with statements on possibility of lawsuits due to the fact that Azerbaijan is allegedly causing oil pollutions in Caspian Sea. "We are a responsible operator in the Caspian and as such we have rigorous HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) processes and procedures in place in line with international standards, including Environmental Impact Assessment of all implemented projects, robust operational and ambient environmental monitoring programmes , preventive measures and control measures including oil spill response plans. We also have jointly agreed processes in place regulating our reporting to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and other regulatory bodies and notifying relevant authorities about any unplanned material releases. We closely work with the government to continuously improve reliability of our operations and ensure environmental safety. We are committed to continuing this practice in the future," the company said.

SOCAR: Oil production at Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli stabilized

At present, the partners developing a block of oil and gas fields "Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli" (ACG) in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea are working over a draft contract for the deep-lying gas extraction in this block, SOCAR head Rovnag Abdullayev said. He said that this will be a new form of the Risk Service Agreement. "At present, the operations are being conducted to develop the structure of the draft contract," Abdullayev said. "This contract will differ from the previous forms of contract (PSA)." Regarding the issue of stabilizing the production volumes at ACG block of fields, Abdullayev said that as of January 2013, there are good results and January's figures correspond to the indices of the same month of 2012.

Regarding the issue of extending the contract on ACG, Abdullayev said that this issue is not on the agenda.

NGL production project started in southwest Iran

The construction of an NGL plant with a projected output of 500 million cubic feet per day started on Monday in the southwestern town of Jofeir, the Mehr News Agency reported. The project, named NGL3200, is one of the major projects of the Iranian oil industry. It is aimed to save one billion cubic feet of associated gas, which is produced at the Yadavaran and Azadegan oilfields. Some 280 million cubic feet of sweetened gas, 50 tons of sulfur, and 72,000 barrels of gas condensates will be produced at the plant.

Iran's President inaugurates new gasoline production unit

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the third gasoline production unit of Abadan refinery on Thursday, IRNA reported. The refinery's third unit will increase the country's gasoline production by 2 million liters per day. The third unit will increase the Abadan refinery's total gasoline output to 15 million liters per day. Once the third development phase of the Abadan Oil Refinery, the Lavan Refinery's gasoline production unit, and the RFCC unit of the Shazand Refinery come on stream, the country's clean gasoline output (Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards) will reach 25 million liters, from the current figure of 12 million. Eairlier it was reported that, after the inauguration of Abadan refinery's new gasoline production unit in the near future, Iran will officially become self-sufficient in producing jet fuel. Iran, already a jet fuel exporter, currently has the capacity to daily produce 11 million litres of jet fuel and export seven million litres, the Mehr News Agency reported.

Moratorium on development of new oil fields to be lifted in Kazakhstan

The moratorium on development of new oil fields will be lifted in Kazakhstan in 2013, Oil and Gas Minister Sauat Mynbayev said. "According to the statement of the head of state we set lifting the moratorium on the use of mineral resources as a goal for 2013 within the "Kazakhstan -2050" strategy," Mynbayev said at the meeting of the Oil and Gas Ministry board attended by Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov. He reminded that moratorium was lifted on the mineral resources, while it has not yet been lifted on hydrocarbon resources. As is known, moratorium on issuance of licenses for subsoil use was introduced in 2008, when the government began to develop a new tax law, stipulating abolition of such contract type as a production sharing agreement.

KazMunaiGas acquires 100 per cent shareholding of N Block B.V.

Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company KazMunaiGas acquired a 100 per cent stake in the N Block B.V., the company's press service reported. 'On January 25, 2013, the national company KazMunaiGas JSC and Conoco Phillips Petroleum Holdings BV closed a deal on a full acquisition of the N Block B.V. Company', the statement said. As a result of this transaction, KazMunaiGas is the owner of 75.5 per cent of the rights for subsoil use in project N and has a 75.5 per cent stake in the N Operating Company. According to the signed contract for the use of mineral resources under the N project, its participants are KazMunaiGas with a share of 75.5 per cent and MDK (Oil and Gas N Block Kazakhstan) GmbH with 24.5 per cent.

Tethys doubles gas price in Kazakhstan

Tethys Petroleum Limited, the oil and gas exploration and production company focused on Central Asia has doubled the net price of gas, which it is selling in Kazakhstan, the company said. "The contract is for annual volumes of up to 150 million cubic meters at an increased net price of $65 per 1,000 cubic meters ($1.84 per 1,000 cubic feet) of gas ($72.8 per 1,000 cubic meters or $2.06 per 1,000 cubic feet including VAT) net of marketing and distribution costs, and runs through to December 31, 2013," the company said. The company's subsidiary TethysAralGas LLP signed two contracts with Kazakh state company for gas supply from Kyzyloi and Akkulka fields. Currently company produces 430,000 cubic meters (15.2 million cubic feet or 2,530 barrels of oil equivalent) per day.

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