Tag Archives: gas

BP says operations resume at Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz

AUG. 14 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — BP said that it had resumed pumping gas out of the Shah Deniz gas field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea after a two week planned maintenance period closed the operation. The Shah Deniz gas field is Azerbaijan’s main gas field and is being expanded to send gas to Europe. Its second phase expansion is seen as critical to future European gas supplies,

ENDS

Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 342, published on Sept. 7 2017)

Gazprom opens new gas pipeline in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, AUG. 30 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller officially unveiled a renovated section of the gas pipeline that pumps gas from Bukhara in Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan and on to Kazakhstan.

The pipeline renovation is seen as a major piece of regional infrastructure that should improve access to heat and electricity for residents of Bishkek and other Kyrgyz cities. It also highlights the power of Gazprom in the region. It bought the Kyrgyz gas distribution business in Kyrgyzstan in 2013 for a symbolic $1, promising to improve its performance.

The opening of the new pipeline will go along way to making good on this promise and also towards strengthening Russia’s soft power impact in the region.

“The reconstruction of the Kyrgyz section of the Bukhara Gas-Bearing Province – Tashkent – Bishkek – Almaty gas pipeline has taken us to the next level in terms of reliability of gas supplies not only to the north of the Kyrgyz Republic, but also to the south of Kazakhstan,” media quoted Mr Miller as saying.

Gazprom officials said that the capacity of the pipeline had been doubled and that nearly 2,000 extra homes in Kyrgyzstan had been added to the mains gas network.
Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev was also at the opening ceremony of the pipeline. His presence underscored the pipeline’s significance and also how it connects neighbours with often fractious relations. Previously, under Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan had withheld gas deliveries to Kyrgyzstan as a weapon.

ENDS

Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 342, published on Sept. 7 2017)

Berdy visits Azerbaijan

AUG. 9 2017 (The Bulletin) — Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov flew to Baku for talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that focused on efforts to feed Turkmen gas into the South Caucasus Energy Corridor that will pump supplies to Europe from the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan is looking for more export routes for its gas. Officially the two leaders signed a document promising to further their strategic partnership.

ENDS

Copyright ©Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 339, published on Aug. 13 2017)

 

Turkmenistan to start Galkynysh 3rd phase

JULY 21 2017 (The Bulletin) — Turkmenistan is due to begin work on a third phase development of its Galkynysh gas field next year, a source at the project told the Trend news agency. Galkynysh, in the east of the country, is one of the biggest gas fields in the world and is central to Turkmenistan’s wealth. It pumps almost all of its gas to China, currently. The extension to Galkynysh is timed for the start of the so-called TAPI gas pipeline, scheduled for 2019, which will send gas across Afghanistan to energy- hungry consumers in Pakistan and India.

ENDS

Copyright ©Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 337, published on July 27 2017)

 

Azerbaijan boosts gas imports from Russia

JULY 3 2017 (The Bulletin) — Russia’s Gazprom said that it was in negotiations with Azerbaijan to increase the amount of gas it sells it. The statement followed a meeting between the head of Gazprom Alexey Miller and the head of SOCAR, the Azerbaijani state- owned oil and gas company, Rovnag Abdullayev and highlights improved Azerbaijan-Russia relations. Azerbaijan started gas imports in September 2015.

ENDS

Copyright ©Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 336, published on July 16 2017)

 

Stock market: KAZ Minerals, Georgia Healthcare

JULY 16 2017 (The Bulletin) — In a rocky fortnight for stocks in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, only KAZ Minerals and Georgia Healthcare bucked the trend and returned growth. Both have had stellar years and are hitting all-time highs.

For KAZ Minerals, the Kazakhstan-focused copper producer formerly called Kazakhmys, production costs at its sites in north Kazakhstan have been lower than previously expected giving it greater margins. Copper prices have been fairly stable, trading in the $250 – $270 per lb corridor this year after a jump at the end of 2016.

For Georgia Healthcare, analysts have simply underestimated the profitability of the product that it was offering. This profitability may have been a motivating factor for London-listed BGEO Group, which owns a 57% stake in Georgia Healthcare, to tell investors that it was going to split into two companies. BGEO Group plans to hold the Georgia Healthcare stake, along with other assets, but it will spin off Bank of Georgia into its own London-listed company.

On the downside Nostrum was the biggest faller, shedding more than 15% of its price. It is now trading at below 430p for the first time since the end of March.

On Toronto’s stock exchange, Centerra Gold was down 6.3% to C$6.63, its lowest since the March.

ENDS

Copyright ©Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 336, published on July 16 2017)

 

WB keeps lending to Azerbaijan

JULY 6 2017 (The Bulletin) — The World Bank approved a plan to lend Azerbaijan just over $400m in 2017, Russia’s Interfax reported, to fund the construction of the Southern Gas Corridor that will pump gas to Europe from the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea. Earlier this year, Azerbaijan quit the Oslo-based Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a move that some analysts had said may impact its ability to secure loans from major intergovernmental institutions.

ENDS

Copyright ©Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 336, published on July 16 2017)

 

Gas trade increases between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

JUNE 27 2017 (The Bulletin) — Uzbekistan will increase imports of gas condensate from neighbouring Turkmenistan to feed its new refinery at Bukhara, media reported quoting state-owned Turkmengas. There have been no public announcements on an increase in gas to Uzbekistan and no numbers have been released on how much gas will be sent to Uzbekistan from Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan has been looking to broaden its gas purchasing clients.

ENDS

Copyright ©Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

Kazmunaigas confirms deal with ENI

JUNE 27 2017 (The Bulletin) — Kazakh state oil and gas company Kazmunaigas confirmed a deal with ENI that will transfer a 50% stake in the Isatay block in the Caspian Sea to Italy’s ENI. Under the deal the two companies will jointly explore the Isatay block for exploitable oil and gas reserves. ENI has been playing a lead role in developing the Kashagan offshore oil project in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea.

ENDS

Copyright ©Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 335, published on July 3 2017)

 

Uzbekneftgaz wants new branding

JUNE 21 2017 (The Bulletin) — Perhaps embracing the country’s new era of openness, Uzbekistan’s state-owned oil and gas company Uzbekneftegas plans to throw off its Soviet-style branding. The company, which runs the Uzbek energy sector, has said that it wants a new logo and a new slogan that can be translated into Uzbek, Russian and English.

ENDS

Copyright ©Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 334, published on June 26 2017)