Russia's LUKoil jointly with Azerbaijani specialists are studying a possibility on continuing exploratory drilling on perspective block D-222 (Yalama), Andrey Kuzyayev, Vice-President of LUKoil and President of LUKoil Overseas Holding LTD told Trend Special Correspondent to Moscow. That will be our key project, he said.
Speaking about other regional projects and plans of LUKoil, its Vice-President said that the Company's perspective with Kazakhstan lays in the Company's three geological and exploratory projects Karagan, Atash, and the recently-signed agreement on project Janbay, where active exploratory drilling works were expected to be launched in 2008
Mr. Kuzyayev said that LUKoil is also negotiating with Turkmenistan regarding geological and exploratory development of Turkmenistan's Caspian shelf.
We are awaiting results of meetings between Turkmen officials and leadership of our Company. Results on Columbia are expected to be announced at the end of the year, said Vice-President of LUKoil.
According to Mr. Kuzyayev, in Iran, the Company is looking for new opportunities to expand partnership, and contract is not discussed until it is signed.
He also said that last year, an agreement on two blocks was signed with the Iranian national Oil Company. As to the third perspective bloc Anaran, the Company is negotiating on this
issue independently, and study of the-above-mentioned project is expected to be completed at the end of the next year.
Commenting perspectives of LUKoil in Iraq, Mr. Kuzyayev said that today, the Company does not face any serious problems in this country. We are not carrying out any active operative activity in this country (in Iraq Editorial). At the same time, we are constantly working within the memorandum we signed four years ago. I would like to particularly emphasize that our memorandum was the second one signed with the Iraqi Oil Ministry. We are sponsors of 200 Iraqi students` studying in Russia, and we have completed a programme on a material aid to the Ministry. Moreover, we are holding technological consultations on some fields for the Ministry. A sitting of the Technical Committee is expected to be held soon, he said.
