Kazakhstan plans to create Turkmenistan-Iran pipe-line consortium
06.12.00 00:00
/IRBIS, Dec.6, 00/ - REUTERS informed that Kazakhstan intends to create
international consortium over construction of Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran
pipeline. The government currently holds negotiation with number of foreign
companies over technical and economical assessment of the project.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported today that the project could provide
economically favourable access to Persian Gulf structures for oil producers
operating in Kazakhstan, mainly from Caspian Sea.
Kazakhstan that recently announced about discovery of 7 bln tons oil field on
the northern shelf of the sea is interested in alternative routes for oil
export.
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan had a meeting with
special adviser of US State Department, Steven Sestanovich. They
discussed prospects of Kazakhstan participation in Aktau-Baku-Jeikhan
pipeline. The representative of the State Department informed that USA
would support Kazakhstan in development of transport facilities of Aktau
seaport and whole Western region of Kazakhstan.
Today government announced that Kaztransoil holds talks with TotalFinaElf,
Agip, British Gas, and Kazakhoil over preparation of technical and
economical assessment for Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran.
The main issues under discussion are structure of the project, shares
distribution, transport capacity and financial obligations.
The main condition of Kazakhstan is 50% stake in consortium for countries
participators at 100% financing by international companies.
During the negotiations companies offered to gradually render shares of
three countries (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran): 21% after signing of the
agreement and 29% after reaching of reasonable rate of return on
investments.
TotalFinaElf, French oil company that supports Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-
Iran pipeline project plans to become main drilling operator of OKIOC
consortium on the northern part of Caspian Sea.
The representatives of the company claimed that discovery of Kashagan oil
field was one of the major event in the oil world for last thirty years. He
also noted that it would be biggest adventure of the twenty first century.
It was reported that the company has all production and financial facilities to
become major drilling operator.
Other candidates for the project are ExxonMobil and Shell.
The Kashagan field could become the biggest oil reserve in the world. The
evaluation drilling did not yet give exact estimates, whereas Kazakhstan
government already announced the preliminary figure of 7 bln tons.
The government reported that preliminary voting will be held in mid
December, while final selection in January of 2001. That time, OKIOC
participants would select from two candidates that took major part of votes in
December. The company should collect 70% of votes to become the
operator.
TotalFinaElf still insists that the Southern direction of oil transporting is
most profitable.
At present, TotalFinaElf has about $1 bln in Kazakhstan.