Gazprom zarubezhneftegaz has obtained commercial inflows of natural gas in the course of carrying out exploratory drilling on the Djel field, which is located on the Ustiurt Plateau in eastern Uzbekistan.

The Djel-2 well was located and drilled in 2010. After the completion of drilling for geological and core materials, four objectives were selected within the 2,390 and 2,658 metre range for testing.

The total inflow from these objectives amounted to around 500,000 cubic metres of natural gas per day.

"The successful drilling of a second well on the Djel field has confirmed the presence of recoverable reserves of natural gas on the Ustyurt plateau. This well has also increased our projected estimates of the deposit's reserves and has refined our ideas concerning the presence of oil and gas in the Shakhpakhtinsky investment block", said Erkin Mamadzhanov, the deputy director of Gazprom zarubezhneftegaz's representative office in Uzbekistan.

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The Djel deposit was opened in May 2009. When testing five objectives in the Djel-1 well within the 2,396 to 2,387 metre range, a recoverable reserve of gas was obtained, with a yield of 360,000 cubic metres per day. In all, eight objectives were tested, three of which produced a recoverable reserve of natural gas. The Djel deposit was therefore opened.

Gazprom zarubezhneftegaz is carrying out exploration work on the Ustyurt plateau based on an "Agreement concerning the basic principles for conducting geological study of the subsoil in the investment blocks of the Ustyurt region of the Republic of Uzbekistan", signed on 25 January 2006 between Gazprom and the national holding company, Uzbekneftegaz.

Gazprom zarubezhneftegaz, a 100%-owned subsidiary of Gazprom, is carrying out a number of Gazprom's projects in hydrocarbon exploration and prospecting outside Russia. The company is currently conducting investment projects in territories in Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan, Kyrgizia, Vietnam and India.