Oil and gas exploration has started at the Eastern Supetau deposit in Tajikistan

Oil and gas exploration has started at the Eastern Supetau deposit in the Sogd region in Tajikistan. It's executed by the Somon Oil Company, a branch of the Swiss Manas Petroleum, jointly with Sugd Geo JSC. They will execute trial well drilling. There's no data about the deposit reserves as yet. Earlier neither oil not gas have been developed in the region. According to the forecast of the Shanghai organization for cooperation, the needed investment for the realization of the project for the deposit development is $56 million.

Currently, oil is produced in the Sogd region near the towns of Isfara and Kanibadam. In January – July there was produced 8,600 tons of oil (+2.3%), 4.3 million cubic m of gas (2.5 times more). They produced from the extracted oil 4,300 tons of fuel oil, 1,300 tons of diesel fuel and 247 tons of petrol.

In Tajikistan there are crude oil deposits Kikikbel, Akbashadyr, Kizilgumshuk, Shaambary, South Pushion, South Kum and Sulduzi with large reserves. Many of explored crude oil deposits are not developed in the state due to high sulfur content, low share of petrol fractions, high coking and impossibility for the creation of the corresponding refining scheme .

Manas Petroleum Corporation owns 90% in Somon Oil JV. It holds the license for operation at the territory with area of 2,492 sq. km granted for 7 years. It develops deposits in Kyrgyzstan, Albania, Chile and starts exploration in Tajikistan. It's partner in Central Asia is the Australian Santos. Besides from Somon Oil there operate in the Tajik hydrocarbon sector Zarubezhneftegaz (the RF, Gazprom), and Tethys Petroleum Ltd. (Canada). No large oil and gas production is executed in the state as yet, and most of fuel is imported from the neighbouring Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Russia.

Translated by Nadezhda Poltoratskaya

Source: http://www.oilru.com/news/273862/