Gazprom International hopes to receive its first gas in Tajikistan by year's end
DUSHANBE. Nov 26 (Interfax) - Gazprom International, which implements Gazprom's projects overseas, has drilled 85.1% of the planned depth at a perspective gas well in Tajikistan and plans to receive its first natural gas at the end of 2012, the company's Tajik office said in a statement.
"At the Shakhrinav-1p well, 5,360 meters of a planned 6,300 meters has been drilled. Drilling at the potential well should be completed at the end of December 2012," the statement said.
Drilling at the Shakhrinav-1p well commenced in December 2010.
"A hydrocarbon trap connected to deposits from the Palaeogenic and Cretaceous periods was uncovered by Soviet geologists but it still has not been drilled out: the Shakhrinav-1p well will allow for estimates of perspective similar layers and parametric data, which will be used in the exploration of similar fields such as the West Shokhambary section," Gazprom International said.
The company earlier said that geological exploration will start at the company's second gas field in Tajikistan, West Shokhambary, by the end of 2012.
The Shakhrinav-1p well is located at the Sarikamysh field. The field's preliminary gas reserves have been estimated at 18 billion cubic meters, oil reserves - 17 million, and gas dissolved in oil - 2 bcm.
The West Shokhambary field covers 247 square kilometers and is located in the Gissar district, which is 20 kilometers west of Dushanbe.
Tajikistan is currently almost entirely dependent on imports of natural gas and petroleum products since domestic production is low. In addition to Gazprom's subsidiaries, Canada's Tethys Petroleum is developing gas fields in Tajikistan.
