Tajikistan needs a considerable increase of investment for the quickest development of the country’s natural gas resources, according to a senior government official.
"A record amount of natural gas was produced in Tajikistan in the 1970s, 525 million cu m/year, when huge funds were invested in this sphere,” said Azim Ibrohimov, who heads the country’s main geology directorate.
Today—taking into account industrial enterprises—the country needs annual production of 800 million cu m to 1 billion cu m of gas, Ibrohimov said, adding, “A multifold increase of funding is needed today to produce at least similar amount of domestic gas.”
Ibrohimov, who noted that five companies prospect for gas in the country, said there is still no fully encouraging information that Tajikistan could fully supply all of its own gas.
"Taking into account prospecting work done by these companies, one cannot say that Tajikistan will (fully) be provided with its own natural gas in the near future," Ibrohimov said.
The comments come as Tajikistan faces a crisis over its gas supplies from neighboring Uzbekistan. Earlier this month, Uzekistan’s state-owned Uzbektransgaz reduced its supplies of natural gas to Tajikistan by 50% due to a dispute over payment (OGJ Online, Jan. 11, 2010).
Source: www.ogj.com
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