Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Russia's Gazprom JSC increased gas production in Uzbekistan by five percent in 2013, Gazprom EP International reported.

Thus, the gas production reached 315 million cubic meters compared to 2012.

Gazprom is engaged in the gas production in the Shakhpakhty field in northwestern Uzbekistan. Reconstruction and additional development of Shakhpakhty, a pilot project of Gazprom EP International in Uzbekistan, is being implemented on the terms of a production sharing agreement (PSA), which was signed in 2004 for 15 years.

During 2013, Gazprom's experts repaired seven wells and commissioned four new. Currently operating wells stock in the field includes 20 units.

Shakhpakhty, gas condensate field, located in the Ustyurt Plateau in Karakalpakstan (northwest Uzbekistan) was opened in 1962. Initial gas reserves of commercial categories have been approved in the amount of 46.5 billion cubic meters. Industrial production in the field was started in 1974 and amounted to 2.5 billion cubic meters per year.

During the period of operation, 36.5 billion cubic meters of gas was produced, which is about 78.5 percent of the initial approved reserves. Currently recoverable reserves of Shakhpakhty are estimated at about eight billion cubic meters.

Production in the field was suspended in 2002.

In August 2004, Gazprom started the natural gas production in the Shakhpakhty field in Ustyurt with design capacity of 500 million cubic meters based on a PSA with a 15-year term.

In 2012, the company implemented a project on the reconstruction and further development of the Shakhpakhy field. It commissioned five of 19 wells that were planned to be restored.

The total cumulative gas production at Shakhpakhty currently exceeds 2.2 billion cubic meters. According to the 2012 results, gas production in this field increased by 1.4 times compared to 2011 to 300 million cubic meters.

In February 2012, Gazprom announced the completion of exploration work in Uzbekistan's Ustyurt region worth $400 million and its intentions to expand the raw material base of its projects in the country.