BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: Health of the President of Azerbaijan Mr. Geydar Aliyev is stable and continues to improve. The Advisor of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in the USA on the political problems Mr. Tair Tagizade has informed about this.
HEALTH OF THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN MR. GEYDAR ALIYEV IMPROVES
The President's organism positively reacts on the therapy, applied by doctors for treatment from the cardiac insufficiency and kidney dysfunction", - Mr. T. Tagizade has said. He has noticed that "for the present there is not any information about a date of returning of Mr. Geydar Aliyev to the Motherland".
BAKU CLAIMS EREVAN IN BREAK OF MONITORING ON THE BORDER LINE OF TROOPS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The Armenian troops have broken monitoring which would be conducted by the OSCE on August 19 on the border line dividing military forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Chief of the Press-center of the MFA of Azerbaijan Mr. Metin Mirza has informed the Agency "Interfax-Azerbaijan" about this.
During the conduction of monitoring, the Armenian side suddenly started firing of the positions of the Azerbaijan forces, and in result of this accident the measure was broken", the diplomat has told.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: Azerbaijan expresses its bewilderment on troubling of Iran by the Azerbaijan-American manoeures in the Caspian Sea, which should finish today. The RIA "Novosty" has got this information in the Press-service in the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The batch drilling of nine advanced wells has been completed on the field "West Azeri".
As Media-Press has been informed in the Company BP-Azerbaijan, the "batch" drilling - is a drilling of wells up to depth of 100 meters with the further lowering of the casing string into it. After this the wells are preserved and stage by stage drilling of each of them starts up to a depth of about 3000 meters. A sinking of the wells up to the project depth will be already carried out after installing an offshore production platform on the "West Azeri".
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: 6500 meters of the project 7244 meters have been drilled in "Shakh-Deniz", the advanced well of the largest onshore gas oil field of Azerbaijan. Media-Press has got this information in the company BP-Azerbaijan.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The operator of the development of the contract area "South-West Gobustan" Gobustan Operating Company (GOC) has announced a tender on conduction of the two-dimensional seismic exploration on the central unit. As Media-Press has been informed in the SOCAR, the results of the tender will be published in the beginning of September.
We shall remind that two-dimensional seismic exploration has been conducted already on the northern unit. It was carried out in the area of 113 square km. "Azneftegeophysic" was a contractor of these works.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: On January - July, 2003 the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has transferred 11 trln. 11 bn manats of taxes to the state budget, and this makes 32.5% of all budget incomes, it has been reported to the Agency "Interfax-Azerbaijan" in the Ministry of Finances of the Republic.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The Baku OPP "Azerneftyanajag" celebrates the 50th anniversary of its operation. For this period over 280 MM tons of oil were processed. At the present time "Azerneftyanajag" produces 15 kinds of the oil products. Above 70% of bright oil products are exported abroad: to France, Italy, Georgia, Greece and other countries. 2500 persons make the staff of the OPP.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The Government of Kazakhstan for the present has not managed to get acceleration of the works on development of the Tengiz field from the international petroleum corporations ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil, the main partners within the JC "Tengizchevroil", the largest oil producer in the country. For disagreement of the western companies on terms of realization of the project on the field development, on which the Government of Kazakhstan had insisted, "Tengizchevroil" stopped works on this project in the past winter; in result of realization of this project the oil production on the Tengiz field should increase in two times in comparison with the present level of 400 thou bbl/day. A cost of the stopped project makes $3.5 bn. The interruption of the JC work damaged Kazakhstan by over $100MM and besides of this, made worse significantly the investment climate in the country.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: Kazakhstan will start exploration works on four fields of the Caspian shelf in the next year, the Press-service of Kazakh State Oil Company "KazMunayGaz".
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: Iran tries to not notice constant pressure of the USA on the Japanese and European companies, which are going to invest in the development of the field Azadegan in spite of sanctions in force. By the words of the official representative of the MFA of Iran Mr. Khamid Reza Asefy, even after warning from the US Administration some foreign companies continue expressing their interests to sharing in this project.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: On the SREPS "Azerbaijan", the largest in the Republic planned repairs of the equipment are conducted with purposes of preparation for the winter period 2003/2004.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The collapse switch off of the electricity in the North-East of the USA not only has cleared bad state of the electric supplying networks, but reminded about other elements of the American infrastructure, which require the urgent modernization.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The earnings from the communication and post services in Azerbaijan made 622.9 bn manats for January - July 2003.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: Although there is a lot of information about events in Iraq in the press, and public acknowledgment adopts still the resent killing of two sons of Saddam Khusseyn, yet the majority of the American dwellers consider removal of Usama ben Laden more significant than of the former Iraqi dictator. Such are results of public opinion examination, conducted by the famous Institute of Gallup.
BAKU.20.08.2003.MEDIA-PRESS: The President of Turkmenistan Mr. Saparmurat Niyazov has written the third book about the inwardness of the Turkmen people. The presentation of the book "Turkmenin Bash Eyaminin Rukhi" ("Five Epochs of the Inwardness of the Turkmen People") was held in the Parliament of the Country, where representatives of wide public, famous cultural figures, directors of the mass-media of the state.
The monitoring was conducted not far from the village Agdam of the Tovuz Region of Azerbaijan in 380 km to the West from Baku.
Mr. M. Mirza has told that the private representative of the present Chief of the OSCE Mr. Anjey Kaspshick, which took part in the monitoring from the Azerbaijan side, has been extremely worried by the accident and the information about this will be transferred directly to the Chief of the OSCE.
During the monitoring the sides of conflict would discuss at the presence of the OSCE representatives causes of systematic breaking the fire stop regime by the Armenian servicemen within this area, and also a problem of returning a cattle flock, stolen by the Armenians some time ago.
The fire stop regime between Azerbaijan and Armenia was established on May 1994. The OSCE at the assistance of the private representative of the present director of this organization, regularly organizes monitorings on the front line with a purpose of information reception and keeping the peace conditions by the sides of the conflict.
We shall remind that during the bloody conflict on a problem of belonging of Nagorny Karabakh between the Armenians and Azerbaijanies, which started in 90-s, not only Nagorny Karabakh was occupied by the Armenian troops, but seven region of Azerbaijan bordering on it too: Agdam, Djebrail, Fizuly, Kyalbadjar, Lachin, Zangelan and Gubadli. In result of this about a million of Azerbaijanies became refugees and forced migrants and live now in the camp towns.
The Safety Council of the UNO in its resolutions No 822 dated from April 30, 1993, No 853 dated from July 29, 1993, No 874 dated from October 14, 1993 and No 884 dated from November 12, 1993 condemned the occupation of the Azerbaijan territory and also demanded immediate, entire and unconditional removal of the Armenian troops from the occupied territories.
The Minsk Group of the OSCE, consisting of a number of the states, including the USA, Russia and France as the co-chairmen is engaged in adjusting of the conflict around Nagorny Karabakh.,
AZERBAIJAN HAS EXPRESSED ITS BEWILDERMENT ON TROUBLING OF IRAN BY AZERBAIJAN - AMERICAN MANOEURES IN THE CASPIAN SEA
"The joint American-Azerbaijan" manoeures carry only antiterrorist character and have a goal to improve training of staff of naval forces of the country", - it was confirmed in the Ministry of Defense.
"t is not clear, why Iran trouble in such way", - they have declared in the press-service, and noted that the manoeures are conducted in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea and not directed against another country.
A day before the official representative of the MFA of the IRI Mr. Khamid Reza Asefi declared that the Iranian side appealed to the Azerbaijan side for the relevant explanations about disagreed information on the joint manoeures of the USA and Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea.
In the manoeures started on August 11 and which should finish today, 18 servicemen of the USA, 45 servicemen of Azerbaijan, two helicopters Mi-8 and two patrol launches took part.
"BATCH" DRILLING OF 9 ADVANCED WELLS HAS BEEN COMPLETED ON THE FIELD "WEST AZERI"
The program of advanced drilling on the "West Azeri" provides sinking of ten wells (9 producing and one for pumping of drilling mud). Drilling works are conducted from submersible drilling installation (SFDI) "Dede Gorgud" and will continue till January 2004.
The advanced drilling became possible owing to installation of a back plate on the same place, where in the end of 2005 the production platform "West Azeri" will be installed. The back plate was constructed at Baku Deep Water Plates Plant by Azerbaijan-France Allyance BOS - Shelf, to which the French Bougues Offshore and BDWPP joined.
Then the back plate was installed in the sea with a help of crain ship "Azerbaijan", which was modernized for this purpose by the Italian SAIPEM.
We shall remind that before a drilling of 12 advanced wells on the field "Central Azeri" has been carried out. All these wells were preserved. There are two purposes of advanced drilling: preparation of conditions for a start of scale production in the shortest terms and getting geological information about hydrocarbonates distribution on the areas before producing drilling.
6500 METERS HAVE BEEN DRILLED ON THE FIRST ADVANCED WELL OF THE GAS FIELD "SHAKH-DENIZ"
The well is drilled from the back plate, which was installed under submersible floating drilling installation (SFDI) "Istiglal". The well was layed on the northern-eastern wing of the structure, at a depth 101 in the sea. A drilling started on April 19. As a whole a well would be drilled for 170 days. The Company Caspian Drilling Company is a conractor of the drilling.
Execution of the advanced drilling program up to istallation of stationary production platform here will allow to increase a rate of production of the first gas volumes and provide rapid growth in gas production after putting the platform into operation.
The "Stage-1" of development of the field "Shakh-Deniz" includes installing the platform TPG 500 for drilling off 15 wells at depths up to 105 m in the sea, underwater preparation of the field with 5 wells, which will be drilled later already at a depth of up to 300 m, construction of two underwater pipelines with a length 100 m of each one (26 inches pipeline and 12 inches for a condensate) from the platform TPG 500 up to Sangachal terminal, construction of installation for gas and condensate preparation on a shore terminal, as well as construction of the South Caucasus pipeline Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan. A total cost of the project makes $3.2 bn.
Assessed supplies of the field "Shakh-Deniz" make 1trln cubic meters of gas. Joint-stock holders of the project are BP (25.5%), Norway Statoil (25./5%), the SOCAR (10%), French-Belgium TotalFinalElf - 10%, Russian "Lukoil" - 10%, the Iranian OIEC - 10% and the Turkish TRAO - 9%.
THE TENDER ON CONDUCTION OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL SEISMIC EXPLORATION ON THE CENTRAL UNIT OF THE CONTRACT AREA "SOUTH-WEST GOBUSTAN" HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED
After completion of the two-dimensional seismic exploration it is planned to carry out three-dimensional one on the northern, central and on-shore units of the field. Execution of these works has been planned up to 2005. A square of the central unit makes 143 sq km, the onshore one - 351 sq km
The contract area of the "South-West Gobustan" consists of 3 units with a common square of 604 square km. The following fields, which were developed earlier and left for small oil and gas production have been included in them: "Shikhzakirli", "Sheytanud", "Vyurkyut", "Donuzlug", "Nardaran", "Ilkhichi", "Gyarby Gajiveli", "Sundi", "Shargi Gadjiveli", "Turagay", "Kenizdag", "Gyarbi Duvanni", "Duvanni", "Solakhay" and "Dashgil". 137 working wells were drilled on the field, however they all were shut down. Besides of this else 250 exploration and evaluation wells had been drilled.
The contract on joint exploration and development of the contract area "South-West Gobustan" was signed on June 1998 an ratified on November of the same year by Milly Medjlis. The SOCAR (20%), "Union Texas Petroleum" (UTP - 40%) and "Commonwealth Oil & Gas (40%) became participants of the project. However UTP came left the project, considering it nonprofitable. 40% of sharing remained for Commonwealth. However the company was not able to finance 80% of sharing in the project and so it yielded 62.83% of its share to Chinese Companies Smart Asses and CNOPC.
A total of capital expenditured for realization of the project is estimated by $470 MM, and developed supplies - by 115 MM bbl of oil and 530 bn cubic foots of gas (in total about 206 MM bb, of oil equivalent).
ON JANUARY - JULY THE SOCAR PROVIDED A THIRD PART OF THE STATE BUDGET EARNINGS OF AZERBAIJAN
For seven months the SOCAR, one of the largest tax payers of Azerbaijan has executed its obligations before the state budget practically by 100%. In comparison with the analogous period of the past year volumes of tax payments of the SOCAR have increased by 23.4%.
"At the present time the Government defines more precisely tax volumes of the SOCAR for 2004. By the preliminary estimations, a plan of the tax transfers of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan will exceed 2 trln manats in the next year", the Ministry of Finance has given this information.
In 2003 the SOCAR should transfer 1.862 trln manats to the state budget, however by expert estimations of the MF, real earnings would probably make 2.867 trln. Manats.
THE OPP "AZERNEFTYANAJAG" CELEBRATES ITS 5O ANNIVERSARY
Annually the plant processes 3.1 MM tons of oil at the project capacity of 8 MM tons and produces 650 - 700 thou tons of benzene. The demands of the country in this product make 350 - 360 thou tons. Also 300 thou tons of aircraft kerosene are produced, and above 70% of it is exported and 680 thou tons of diesel fuel are produced (its export exceeds also 50%).
This installation allows producing diesel and kerosene fractions, corresponding to the world standards. At the same time installation of alkalinous cleaning the diesel fuel was excepted from the operation for its moral and physical wearing.
For bringing the oil products quality to the world level the contract on purchase of technological documentation and license equipment was concluded with the company "Maricam Corporation" (the world leader in the field of alkalinous cleaning of the oil products). The realization of the project will allow already in 2004 to go from the production of the aircraft kerosene mark TC-1 to the production of the mark A-1, a price of which is higher by $10 - 15 per a ton than of TC-1.
By the end of the current year it is also planned to put into operation a unit of the hydrofining of the diesel fuel, corresponding to the world standards and increase production of the diesel fuel in a way of processing the furnace oil, which is not required in the country.
Conduction of a tender on the second stage of reconstruction of istallations ELOU-AVT-6 and catalytic reforming, and after that a modernization of all main installations of "Azerneftyanajag" will be completed.
DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF KAZAKHSTAND BOTH CHEVRONTEXACO AND EXXONMOBIL ON THE TENGIZ PROJECT HAS ALREADY DAMAGED BY $100 MM
IN 2004 "KAZMUNAYGAZ" WILL START THE EXPLORATION WORKS ON FOUR CASPIAN FIELDS
Specialists highly estimate prospects of these structures. Total predicted geological resources of the hydrocarbons on the field "Darkhan" from 440 up to 1 100 MM tons, on three others - Ulitau, Nursultan and Rakushechnoye - the sea, which is situated to the South - supposedly 1bn tons of oil. The works on drilling of exploration wells will take four years, Dow Jones reports from Almati.
The industrial usage of offshore fields on the structures "Darkhan", "Nursultan", "Ulitau","Rakushechnoye - sea" and "Kurmangazi" at the first time in the history of Kazakhstan will bring to creation of the native maritime oil and gas industry.
The main profits for the region from the realization of the maritime oil project will be concluded in creation of new job vacancies, active support of the social sphere, annual assignments for teaching the local staff, increase of the tax levies as well as using home scientific potential. "Kazmunaygaz" intends to attract maximum quantity of contractors, materials, goods and services suppliers.
The mentioned oil and gas fields were explored and researched during seismic and exploring works, conducted in the period from 1994 up to 1997 by the international Consortium "Kazakhstankaspiyshelf".
IN SPITE OF THE US PRESSURE THE FOREIGN COMPANIES DO NOT LOOSE THE INTEREST TO THE OIL PROJECTS IN IRAN
On the past week during his tour over Europe the Minister of the Energy of the USA Mr. Spenser Abraham advised with insistence to Holland and Italian companies to not invest in Azadegan, and earlier Washington insistently called Tokyo to keep itself from conclusion of agreement on development of this field, supplies of which have been estimated in 26 bn bbl of oil.
The Minister of Oil of Iran Mr. Bijan Hamdar Zangane has declared in the beginning of August that talks on the project Azadegan with the Japanese Consortium Japex (which consists of Tomen Corp., Inpex. Corp., Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., and Indonesia Petroleum) are continued, in spite of that the contract was not signed in the end of June.
And yesterday the same Mr.Khamid Reza Asefy did not affirm the information about going out of Japan from the project "Azadegan". "By my information, - he has said, - the Japanese Government has not refused of agreements achieved earlier, and negotiation process about sharing of this country in the project is continued".
"We have no fears on this, as there a lot of those, who would wish to share in the development of this field", - the official representative of the MFA has said in addition.
Earlier some mass-media informed that Tokyo refused of sharing in the joint project on the development of the field "Azadegan", development of which is estimated in $2.8bn under a pressure of the USA. Meanwhile, recently the Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Nijat Khoseyniyan has declared that the "Iranian-Japanese negotiations delayed and if it will go on, obligations of the Iranian side may loose their force". It is not excepted that Tehran may appeal to the other international partners including and the Russian petroleum companies in their number.
PLANNED WORKS ON REPAIRS OF EQUIPMENT AIMED TO PREPARATION FOR WINTER PERIOD 2003/2004 ARE CONDUCTED ON THE SREPS "AZERBAIJAN"
As Media-Press has been informed in the JC "Azerenerji" at the present time main works are conducted in the second energetic unit of the station, where capital repair is carried out. Its completion is planned by the end of August. In result the efficiency of the energetic unit will be increased by 30 - 40 MVt.
Earlier the capital repairs of the eighth energetic block was completed and now it produces 300 MVt. Before the production of the electric energy did not exceed 280 kVt here. Also a current repair of the units No 3 and 5 should be made, afterwards a production of each of them will increase by 15 - 20 MVt.
As it was noted in "Azeenerji", conducted measures will bring to increase of the station productivity up to maximum value for the last ten years 2015 MVt.
The SREPS "Azerbaijan" produces more than 50% of all electric power of all country. In the past year 10.1 bn kVt/hours of the electric energy were produced here, meanwhile in the country its production made in total little more than 18 bn kVt/hours.
It is planned also to complete a construction of 9th power unit of the station. With these purposes a tender was announced. By the preliminary information, for completion of the construction $50 - 60 MM will be required. Negotiations on credit allocation for these purposes are conducted with the Islamic Development Bank, the European Reconstruction and Development Bank and Chinese National Corporation.
The construction of the Azerbaijan SREPS with the project capacity of 3000 MVt was started in 1974 near the town Mingechavir. It was planned to establish here ten energetic units of similar type, with a capacity of 300 MVt of each. The first unit was put into operation in 1981, and the eighth - in 1989.
"WASHINGTON POST": NOT ONLY ELECTRIC SUPPLY NETWORKS, BUT GAS PIPELINES, ROADS AND CANALIZATION HAS DECAYED
As the newspaper "Washington Post" informs, by estimates of the North American Council of Electric Supplying Reliability, the electric power transmission systems in the USA in many cases base on technologies of 50-s of the past century and investments of about $56 bn are required for their modernization. After the greatest in the US history the electric power switch off, the President Mr. J. Bush was forced to recognize that the networks went out of date.
And with this the other elements of the US infrastructure also require urgent investments, the newspaper emphasizes. By data of the American Natural Gas Transportation Association, for satisfaction of demands in transportation of this resource between different regions of the country during the next 12 - 15 years, the USA should invest no less than $70 bn in modernization and construction of new gas lines.
The Federal Environmental Protection Agency entering into the governmental structure of the USA has calculated that investments in a total within ranges from $300 - 400 bn dollars should be required for arrangement and modernization of becoming out of date the waste waters system.
In the past year the other governmental organization - the Federal Road Administration informed the USA Congress that for satisfaction of rapidly growing requirements of cars for repair of existing roads as well as construction of new highways, bridges and overhead crossings, the USA should invest annually $107 bn up to 2020. Only for maintenance of the ways in the present and not always excellent conditions $76bn per a year are required and this is by 17.5% more than base budget volumes.
FOR SEVEN MONTHS OF 2003 THE EARNINGS FROM COMMUNICATIONS AND POST SERVICES MADE 622.9 BN MANATS ($126.6 MM)
In accordance with the data of the State Statistics Department, 67,7% of the communication services were rendered by nongovernmental enterprises. The services by a total of 450.3 bn manats were rendered to the population, and this exceeds by 27.4% the data for January - July of 2002.
A profit of two operators of mobile communication (the JC "Azercell" and "Bakcell") has made 356 bn manats and this is higher by 28.1% than on January - July 2002. A number of mobile communication consumers reached 901 thou in July.
GALLUP: THE AMERICANS CONSIDER REMOVAL OF USAMA BEN LADEN MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN OF SADDAM KHUSSEYN
In accordance with data of the examination by phone, conducted by mentioned service in the beginning of August, answering to the question, what purpose is the most significant for the USA: capture and removal of Usama ben Laden or of Saddam Khusseyn, 41% or the respondents chose a first, and 29% - a second. Approximately one of fifth part of examination (21%) considered both aims significant, and 2% did not choose any of them.
By the words, public opinion examinations conducted regularly by the Gallup Service register a reduction of the public optimism in the USA relatively to a possibility of removal of both these aims. If in the beginning of the war in Afghanistan (November, 2001) 78% of the US population believed that Usama ben Laden will be certainly captured, by September 2002 this sureness dropped down up to 59%. Approximately similar picture has been painted around the Iraqi dictator: 70% in the early stages of the war in Iraq and 48 - in the end of June.
TURKMENBASHY HAS WRITTEN THE NEXT BOOK
"Our epoch - is the time when inward values accumulated for five thousand years by the people should revive and find a solid base in the heart of each Turkmen", - Saparmurat Niyazov teaches the readers of his book.
His story begins with epoch of Oguz khan, the Father of the Turkmens. Then the epoch of Gorkut Ata Turkment follows, and it founded life bases of the Turkmen-Oguz people. The third epoch - Gerogli bek Turkmen - a time of heroism, war art of the Turkmens. :The third epoch is of Makhtumkuly Turkmen - a time of hopes and wills for the best future. "Dreams of the people are become reality in the Epoch of Turkmenbashy", - the Chairman of the Majlis Mr. Ovezkeldi Atayev has declare in his speech at the presentation.
The new books with an edition of 5 thou examples were delivered already for a sale to book shops of the country. It was put near other books of Mr. S. Niyazov - "Rukhname" ("The Inwardness") and "Turkmen Ilim Aman bolsun" ("Be Blessed, the Turkmen People")
