TASHKENT (TCA) — Russian gas giant Gazprom and Uzbekistan have agreed to sign a medium-term contract for five years for the purchase of Uzbek natural gas, Gazprom Chairman Alexey Miller said after his meeting with Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Novosti Uzbekistana news agency reported.
A Gazprom delegation headed by Alexey Miller visited Uzbekistan on March 29 and had meetings with Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov.
At the meetings the sides noted that Gazprom and Uzbekneftegaz National Holding Corporation successfully cooperated in gas prospecting and production in Uzbekistan, including at the Shakhpakhty field, Gazprom said in a press release. The meetings resulted in an agreement to develop a joint plan for geological exploration in Uzbekistan and to promote exchange of experience in design operations management and skilled workforce training for the gas industry.
The parties discussed Gazprom’s natural gas procurements from Uzbekistan and the implementation of Uzbekistan-based investment projects, the Russian company said.
In 2002, Gazprom and Uzbekneftegaz signed the Agreement of Strategic Cooperation providing for Gazprom’s participation in natural gas production projects within Uzbekistan under PSA conditions.
Since 2004, Gazprom has taken part in the PSA-based gas production recovery process at the Shakhpakhty field.
In 2006, Gazprom and Uzbekneftegaz inked the Agreement on the basic principles of geological exploration at investment blocks in the Ustyurt region of Uzbekistan. Gazprom International was appointed as the project operator. In the course of geological exploration, the Dzhel gas and condensate field was discovered within the Shakhpakhty block in 2009.
In 2016, Gazprom purchased around 6.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Uzbekistan.
