In Dushanbe, on 27-28 March 2007, a technical conference was held on the subject of a project by ZAO Zarubezhneftegaz (a subsidiary of OAO Gazprom) to conduct seismic surveys (2D) on the Rengan and Sargazon areas, which have oil and gas potential, in Tajikistan.

The conference was attended by specialists from OAO Gazprom, ZAO Zarubezhneftegaz, the Tajik Ministry of Energy and Industry, the Tajik Principal Government Authority for Geology, the GUP “Naftu Gaz va Angysht”, interested parties from the Republic’s ministries and government departments, and representatives of executive bodies from the areas of proposed work, contracting organisations, ОАО Saratovneftegeofizika, OOO VNIIGAZ and others.

The Russian representatives declared their readiness to carry out fieldwork by 15 April 2007. The first camps have already been created in the areas earmarked for the work. ZAO Zarubezhneftegaz is taking preparatory measures, mobilising technology and equipment into the work area.

Representatives of the Russian delegation were welcomed by Tajik Energy and Industry Minister Sherali Gul. At the meeting, they advised the minister of the results of the conference and the decisions taken.

The conference participants also visited the Sargazon field camp in the Dangarinskii District of Tajikistan, where they saw the conditions in which the works would be conducted and the staff would live.

Reference:
OOO VNIIGAZ is compiling the technical and economic assessment of the geological survey and the staged programme of geological survey works in the areas of oil and gas potential in Tajikistan. In the context of this work, on the basis of the quantitative processing and integrated re-interpretation of the seismic survey data, the gas resources have been assessed and a programme of geological surveys prepared for the areas of oil and gas potential in Tajikistan.

The Russian-Tajik joint gas industry venture is regulated by the inter-governmental agreement “concerning the joint strategic venture in the gas industry” dated 15 May 2003 and the memorandum “concerning intentions to create a joint Russian-Tajikistani Business” dated 28.03.2006.

Licences to conduct geological studies of the potential oil-and-gas-bearing Sargazon and Rengan areas, whose forecast hydrocarbon resources are assessed at 30 bcm and 35 bcm respectively, were issued to OAO Gazprom on 13 December 2006.

In the next 5 years, OAO Gazprom is planning to conduct geological surveys in the Rengan, Sargazon, Sarykamysh and West Shaambary areas.