Project Profile
Value: Undisclosed
Location: South-Eastern section of Ustyurt Plateau, in Kungrad District of Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan
Start-up Year: April 1971
Reserves: 46.5 bcm of gas (initial) 8 bcm (remaining recoverable in 2015)
Production: 350 mcm (2015)
Shakhpakhty gas field in Uzbekistan launched in April 1971. The natural gas deposit, located in the South-Eastern section of the Ustyurt Plateau, in the Kungrad District of Karakalpakstan, was opened in February 1962. According to exploration works completed in 1968, initial industrial-category gas reserves were //confirm/i/ied, totalling 46.5 bcm. A total of 48 wells were drilled in it, including 14 exploratory, one parametric and 33 operational. In 1974, industrial extraction of natural gas started in Shakhpakhty, with a yearly yield of 2.5 bcm.
The Shakhpakhty additional compressor station (DKS) was commissioned in 1983 but stopped in February 2002 because of insufficient power to supply the extracted gas to the Karakalpakia compressor station (KS) at the required incoming pressure. In February 2002, the extraction organisation stopped taking gas from the Shakhpakhty deposits and the wells were mothballed. During 1971 - 2002, a total of 36.5 bcm were taken from the deposit, or 78.6 % of its initial confirmed resources.
In July 2004, Uzbekistan signed a new 15-year PSA for Shakpakhty with Uzbekneftegaz, Gazprom Zarubezhneftegaz, and Gas Project Development Asia of Switzerland. This was extended by a further five years, from 2019 to 2024, in April 2017.
In August 2004, Zarubezhneftegaz – GPD Central Asia started work to recommission the wells and extract additional natural gas from the deposit. After the recommissioning, 10 wells produced an industrial flow of I, II, III and III-a horizon industrial gas. Investments of around US$24 million helped modernise Shakhpakhty’s infrastructure. The deposit’s remaining recoverable reserve was reduced to an estimated 8 bcm by the end of 2015, according to local media reports, though production in 2015 was up by an annual 6% to 350 mcm.
Operators:
Zarubezhneftegaz - GPD Central Asia joint venture
Gazprom Zarubezhneftegaz
Gas Project Development Central Asia AG)