Azerbaijan, Ukraine to assess economic feasibility of gas supplies
An Azerbaijani-Ukrainian working group on energy issues will hold meetings until late May to assess the economic profitability of the project of supplying Azerbaijani gas to Ukraine, Ukrainian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alexander Mishchenko said.
The agreement was reached during Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Eduard Stavitsky's recent visit to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani gas supplies from Shah Deniz offshore gas condensate field to Europe will begin in 2019. Azerbaijan proposed Ukraine to ensure gas supplies through the Trans-Anatolian pipeline or by constructing a terminal on its liquation in Georgia and transshipment through the LNG-terminal in Ukraine. This project must allow Ukraine to diversify gas supplies.
Ukraine proposes Azerbaijan to refine oil at its refineries upon a toll manufacturing system. It is planned to refine it at the refineries in Odessa and Kremenchug.
Shah Deniz consortium begins evaluating final gas transportation offers
The Shah Deniz consortium has begun evaluating final offers it has received from the Nabucco Gas Pipeline International and Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) for transportation of Shah Deniz Stage 2 gas to Europe, BP Azerbaijan reported.
"The submissions allow the Shah Deniz consortium to conduct the final evaluation of each of the transportation options and make an informed decision on the preferred export route to Europe," the report said.
The final decision on the European pipeline is expected to be made by end of June 2013.
The transportation offers are expected to become legally binding by end of April 2013. In the next month the Shah Deniz consortium also expects to receive binding gas sales offers from potential gas buyers in Europe.
SOCAR and Statoil agree on development of prospective structure in Caspian Sea
SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) and Norway's Statoil have agreed to jointly develop the Zafar-Mashal prospective structure in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, a source on the oil and gas market said.
A source said the signing of the agreement on the basic principles on the Zafar-Mashal structure is expected during the World Economic Forum Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the South Caucasus and Central Asia to be held in Baku on April 8.
SOCAR geologists estimate reserves on this structure at 300 billion cubic meters of gas and 37 million tons of condensate.
Iran will provide $500m for pipeline work
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has said Iran will provide $500 million under a state-to-state arrangement for constructing a gas pipeline that will bring Iranian gas to Pakistan, a media report said, IRNA reported.
Turkmenistan is ready to provide Kazakhstan with 500 MN cubic meters of gas
Turkmenistan is ready to supply 500 million cubic meters of gas to Kazakhstan in April-May 2013, KazTransGas said.
Head of KazTransGas Serik Sultangali met with chairman of the Turkmengaz State Concern Kakageldi Abdyllaev in Ashgabat.
"During the meeting the Turkmen side stressed its readiness to supply gas to the Republic of Kazakhstan to the amount of 500 million cubic meters in April-May 2013," a statement said.
According to the agreement, the Kazakh southern regions (including Almaty) will be provided with gas through the Turkmenistan - China gas pipeline.
OSCE helps Turkmenistan with energy diplomacy
The OSCE, in co-operation with the Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities organized a two-day workshop, the OSCE Center in Ashgabat said.
Some key experts and officials of Turkmenistan's oil, gas, energy, economic and financial sectors and academia attended the OSCE-supported workshop on energy diplomacy. The overview on gas complex case studies and international valuation methods were the leitmotif.
International experts from the Philippines, Russian Federation and United Kingdom provided an overview of the oil and gas industries in the leading gas exporters of the world and presented the methods and procedures of valuation of the oil and gas complexes and relevant
negotiation techniques. The participants also discussed case studies related to international oil and gas contracts.
Malaysia's Petronas withdraws from exploration project in Uzbekistan
Malaysian Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has announced its withdrawal from a project to conduct exploration work at the Surkhan investment block in Uzbekistan.
A report published in the local media talks about the launch of the voluntary liquidation of the project operator, Petronas Carigali (Surkhanski) Operating Company Ltd. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Petronas).
To date, neither the National Holding Company (NHC) Uzbekneftegaz, nor the Petronas office have commented on the cause of the Malaysian company's withdrawal from the project.
In the past two years, Petronas has substantially reduced its participation in the oil and gas projects in Uzbekistan.