DUSHANBE, January 8, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Azim Ibrohim, the chairman of the Main Geology Directorate under the Government of Tajikistan, revealed on January 7 that the Tajik authorities have decided to revoke a hydrocarbon prospecting license from Singaporean company, Marvis.

According to him, the company, which is engaged in prospecting for oil and gas in Tajikistan, has failed to conduct seismic surveys at two gas fields – Qizil Tumshuq and Guldara (both are located in the southern Khatlon province).

“Marvis got the prospecting license more than four years ago,” Tajik chief geologist noted.  “We have sent government’s order on revoking the prospecting license to Marvis but they have not yet replied.  We intend to revoke the license through court in the near future.”

In the meantime, Azim Ibrohim gave high praise to activities of Gazprom International in Tajikistan.  The company is carrying out seismic and exploration operations at quite a good pace, he noted.

Gazprom International is an affiliate of Russia’s state-controlled gas company Gazprom.  In all, Gazprom has received licenses from the Tajik government to explore four oil-and-gas reserves in Tajikistan: Rengan; Sargazon; Sariqamish; and the Western Shohambari.

Cooperation between the Tajik government and Russia’s state-controlled company Gazprom is regulated by a long-term (till 2028) agreement on strategic cooperation in the gas industry signed between Gazprom and Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy in Dushanbe on May 15, 2003 and a memorandum of intent on launching joint Tajik-Russian enterprises of March 28, 2006.  Gazprom has been working in Tajikistan on providing the beginning of geological explorations since July 2006.

According to expert estimates, the aggregate raw-materials resources of the oil and gas bearing areas in Tajikistan amount to about 1,000 billion tons of reference fuel.  At the same time, production work at oil and gas fields require considerable expenditure, since hydrocarbon deposits occur at depths ranging from 6.5 to 8 kilometers.