DUSHANBE, July 8, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Valery Gulev, director general of closed joint-stock-company (CJSC) Zarubezhneftgaz, which is a subsidiary of Russian gas company Gazprom, heading a Russian delegation held a number of talks in Dushanbe on July 4-5 to discuss cooperation issues. 

On July 4, Gulev met with Tajik Minister of Energy and Industries Sherali Gul to consider a progress of implementation of an agreement on main principles of exploration of oil and gas reserves in Tajikistan, Ivan Gogolev, a spokesman for Zarubezhneftgaz, said.

During the meeting, Gulev informed the Tajik minister of the foreseeable plans of the company one exploring of oil and gas reserves of the Rengan and Sargazon fields.  “He, in particular, noted that mobilization of equipment and personnel  for exploration and drilling operations will start before end of this year, and the company is expected to launch the field operations already the next wing,” Gogolev said.   He cited Gulev as saying that Zarubezhneftgaz intends to use unique equipment and technologies that have not been used in the territory of the former Soviet Union so far.

Practical aspects of exploration operations were a focus of a meeting of Gulev with Mr. Azim Ibrohim, the head of Tajikistan’s Main Geology Directorate.

Tajik-Russian cooperation in the fuel-and power sector is regulated by an agreement on cooperation in the gas industry signed in Dushanbe  on May 15, 2003. 

In December 2006, Russia''s state-controlled gas company Gazprom received two licenses from the Tajik government to explore oil and gas reserves. The Rengan field, located 20 kilometers from the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, has possible gas reserves of 35 billion cubic meters, according to Gazprom; Sargazon, located in the Khatlon province 150 kilometers from Dushanbe, has possible reserves of 30 billion cubic meters.

In June 2008, Gazprom and the Tajik government signed the agreement on main principles of exploration of oil and gas reserves in Tajikistan.  The Russian gas company plans to explore oil and gas reserves of the Rengan, Sargazon, Sariqamish, and Western Shaambari in the coming five years.