Main occasions of previous week in Caspian countries' oil, gas industry

Azerbaijani minister: Documents on Trans-Caspian gas pipeline to be prepared

Two documents which must be signed at the level of the Azerbaijani, Turkmen presidents, head of the European Commission and the governments of the two Caspian-littoral countries, are being prepared within the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project, Azerbaijani Minister of Industry and Energy Natiq Aliyev said.

He said that the first document will support the corridor by three sides. The second document must be signed between the Azerbaijani and Turkmen governments.

SOCAR completes 3D seismic studies on prospective Caspian Sea structure

The Geophysics and Geology Department of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has completed three-dimensional seismic studies on the prospective structure of Bahar-2, the department announced.

According to the report, seismic operations were conducted using subsea equipment belonging to the seismic station Aram Aries, as well as with the use of the research vessels Geophysicist-1 and Geophysicist -2,as well as the towing vessel Aura and other service vessels.

The work was conducted by the order of the Bahar Energy Operating Company LTD.
'The results of the conducted work are satisfactory and were fully accepted by the customer', the report says.

SOCAR entitled to acquire control package of shares in SOCAR Energy Ukraine

The Ukrainian Antimonopoly Committee entitled SOCAR to increase its stake in SOCAR Energy Ukraine's authorized capital. This will allow it to acquire more than 50 percent of votes in the supreme governing body of the company, a statement posted on the official website of the committee said.

A group of SOCAR Ukraine companies led by SOCAR Energy Ukraine in 2013 plans to increase the number of filling stations in Ukraine under the SOCAR brand to 100 units.

ConocoPhilips share in N project cost Kazakhstan $32.5 million

Kazakhstan purchased a share of ConocoPhilips' share in the project 'N' in the Caspian Sea for $32.5 million, Oil and Gas Minister of Kazakhstan Sauat Mynbaev said.
On Jan 25, 2013, the National Oil and Gas Company KazMunaiGas Exploration Production completed a deal acquiring a 24.5-percent share of ConocoPhilips in the project 'N'. As a result, KMG became the owner of a 75.5-percent of rights of subsoil use in the project N.
Commenting on the details of the deal on conditions of anonymity, a source in the Kazakh Ministry of Oil and Gas said that the deal was very beneficial for KazMunaiGas Exploration Production.

"The National Company KazMunaiGas acquired shares for a price lower than the price at which ConocoPhillips entered this project," the source said.

Kazakhstan to issue licenses to investors to develop 20 new fields

Kazakhstan Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna is preparing a list of fields where licenses for development will be issued to potential investors after lifting a moratorium on the development of hydrocarbon fields, chairman of the Kazakhstan Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna Umirzak Shukeyev said at the Fund Board with the participation of Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov.

He said about 20 fields will be included in this list.

"We are preparing a list of fields, probably 20 which are planned to be given over for development," Shukeyev said.

According to Shukeyev, in parallel, proposals are being prepared to simplify procedures for issuing, as investors' interest in fields remain for six or seven months and then becomes weak.

The moratorium on the development of new oil fields will be lifted in Kazakhstan in 2013, Oil and Gas Minister Sauat Mynbayev said earlier. A moratorium on the 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 types as a production sharing agreement.

Turkmenistan to order two oil tankers from Russia

A preliminary agreement was achieved on the basic conditions for construction and delivery of two tankers of the 19900 project for Turkmenistan in 2013-2014, a press release of the Russian Marine and Oil and Gas Projects (MNP) said.

Chair of the Turkmen State Service for Maritime and River Transport Rustam Kutlyev held negotiations with MNP representatives.

Oil terminal to be built on Turkmen-Afghan border

A Turkmen oil-refining complex signed a contract with the state interest

"Turkmennebitgazgurlushyk" ("Turkmenneftegazstroy") for the construction of an oil terminal, an official Turkmen source said.

The corresponding decree was signed by Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov.
The question is how to go about designing and constructing a terminal for the reception, storage and shipment of oil products with a capacity of 540,000 tons at Imamnazar customs point in the Atamyrat district of Lebap province located on the Turkmen-Afghan border.

The project will be implemented in order to fulfill the "Program for the Development of the Oil and Gas Complex of Turkmenistan for 2012-2016" which aims to expand the sale of petroleum products in foreign markets.

The document calls for construction to begin in February 2013 and the commissioning of the facility in February 2015.