Uzbekistan resumes gas imports from Turkmenistan

TASHKENT. Jan 23 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan has resumed gas imports from Turkmenistan disrupted for technical reasons, the Uztransgaz press service said on Monday.

"Phased resumption of gas supply from Turkmenistan began on January 21. Currently, up to 12.6 million cubic meters of gas are supplied from the side of Turkmenistan per day," the press service said.

It is planned to gradually increase the supplies to 16 million cubic meters, the press service said.

It was reported earlier that Turkmenistan had stopped supplying gas to Uzbekistan because of malfunctions at Turkmengaz extraction facilities: hydrate formation in infield communications of Turkmenistan's largest gas condensate field Galkynysh.

Uzbekistan has resorted to scheduled power outages amid frosts and a gas deficit, which reaches 20 million cubic meters per day at peak periods in winter.

Gas extraction enterprises of Uzbekistan have an annual output of about 70 billion cubic meters. Yet the production has tangibly declined in recent years due to the depletion of reserves, technological losses and the absence of an effective system of control over hydrocarbon deliveries.