BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 12. Uzbekistan’s state-owned oil and gas company Uzbekneftegaz is seeking to expand cooperation with China’s Sinopec in exploration, deep drilling and oil refining as the country moves to develop new hydrocarbon reserves.
This was reflected in the statement by the Uzbekneftgaz following a meeting between Uzbekneftegaz Chairman Abdugani Sanginov and a delegation from Sinopec led by Fan Xiannan, chief representative for Russia and Central Asia, to discuss opportunities for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in the oil and gas sector.
The talks focused on expanding geological exploration, drilling deep wells and introducing advanced technologies in oil refining.
Sanginov said recent exploration work in Uzbekistan’s Ustyurt region had identified promising hydrocarbon reserves. As part of efforts to develop these deposits, Uzbekneftegaz plans to drill wells at depths of 5,500 to 6,000 meters under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions.
The Uzbek side invited Sinopec to submit technological solutions and commercial proposals for the construction of such wells, according to the company.
The parties also discussed conducting joint exploration activities and developing new prospective blocks. Uzbekneftegaz said the volume of geological exploration work this year has increased nearly threefold from the previous year, creating additional opportunities for cooperation with international partners.
"The volume of Geosciences in this year has increased by almost three times compared to last year. Therefore, an exchange of views was held on the organization of collaborative exploration in promising areas and the development of cooperative formats for the development of Mines at the next stage," the statement said.
The two companies exchanged views on possible formats for joint exploration of promising areas, followed by the development of commercially viable deposits.
Oil refining was another key area of the discussions, with the sides considering cooperation on introducing modern technologies to improve processing capabilities and efficiency.
The Uzbek side also expressed interest in Sinopec’s research and development institutes and agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation in this area.
The discussions come as Uzbekistan seeks to expand domestic hydrocarbon production by developing new reserves and applying advanced technologies to increasingly complex geological conditions. Deeper exploration and higher-pressure drilling could help unlock additional resources, while cooperation with major international oil and gas companies could provide access to specialized equipment, engineering expertise and investment.
The sides emphasized that cooperation based on advanced technologies, investment and engineering solutions would serve the interests of both parties.
They agreed to continue practical work on the areas discussed, including exploration, deep drilling, oil refining and scientific and technological cooperation.
