On 18 December, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan, Kokhir Rasulzoda, visited Gazprom International's production site in the Shakhrinav district of the country, 36 km from Dushanbe.

The state delegation to the Sarikamysh licence block, where drilling for the Shakrinav-1P well to a depth of 6,450 metres was completed in June, and where tests on potential reservoirs discovered are currently underway, also included the Vice-Premier of the Republic of Tajikistan, Azim Ibrohim, and the Head of the Shakhrinav district, Ismatullo Zaidov.

The Director of Gazprom International in the Republic of Tajikistan, Igor Shatalov, received the delegation at the drilling site and told his guests about the current state of geological exploration work at the well and the potential for Gazprom International's work in the republic in the future.

He said that at the current stage, geological testing of the first of a total of eight potential reservoirs discovered was complete, and work had begun on the second. "We have already investigated the first area, and have now moved on to the second. However, the most promising, in our opinion, are Nos. 4, 6 and 7. We view their potential to be high. Well-testing should be complete by summer next year," said Mr Shatalov.

Tajikistan's Prime Minister, Kokhir Rasulzoda, expressed his satisfaction with progress and particularly noted the quality of the equipment at the production site.

During the visit, the commencement of work on another of Gazprom International's licence blocks in Tajikistan – West Shokhambary, in the Hisor district – was also discussed. Mr Shatalov pointed out that preparation work was currently underway at the site and that the company planned to start geological prospecting and exploration in the second quarter of next year.
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Gazprom International, the sole operator of Gazprom's foreign hydrocarbon prospecting, exploration and production projects, completed drilling work on the Shakhrinav-1P exploratory well on 11 June this year. Following the drilling and comprehensive geological and geophysical work, eight reservoirs were identified. These will be investigated to determine potential yields and their industrial significance.

In total, Gazprom has invested around 5.5 billion rubles in geological prospecting and exploration in Tajikistan. The collaboration between Gazprom and Tajikistan is developing on the basis of the long-term (up to 2028) agreement on strategic cooperation in the gas industry, dated 15 May 2003, and the agreement on common principles for carrying out geological studies of the subsurface resources of Tajikistan, dated 10 June 2008.