IN 2003 MORE 15 MM TONS OF OIL WERE PRODUCED IN AZERBAIJAN
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: In 2003 more than 15.378 MM tons of oil and gas condensate were produced in 2003 in Azerbaijan and this by 0.3% more than in 2002.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: On May of this year the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan would complete the construction of the offshore stationary platform (OSP) N13 in the shallow-water area of the field "Guneshli". As Media-Press has been informed in the SOCAr, on May the drilling would be started from the same platform on May. For the present it is planned to drill eight wells on the OSP - 13.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The frist party of pipes for the construction of the Georgian piece of gas pipeline Baku - Tbilisi - Erzurum has been delivered to the Poti sea port.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The next round of the negotiations between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan on issues of the sharing the Caspian bottom started in Ashgabad today. The Vice Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Mr. Khalaf Khalafov heads the Azerbaijan expert group.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: Transparency, stability and reasonable power resources consumption are the key factors for the providing of the oil and gas industry in the Central Asia. The Special Envoy of the US Department on the Diplomacy in the field of the energy resources in the Caspian basin Mr. Steven Mann has declared about this on the conference "Risks and opportunities for sharing ij the construction of oil- an gas piplines in the Caspian basin and Central Asia" held in London.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The Azerbaijan delegation headed by the Vice-Premier Mr. Abid Sharifov discuss the course of the realization of the project of the Main Exporting Pipeline Baku - Tbillisi - Ceyhan (MEP BTC). Moreover, the President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Mr. Natiq Aliyev and the President of the pipeline company BTC Co. (Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan) Mr. Michael Townsend take part in the negotiations.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The adjustment of the conflict in Karabakh would become the main theme of the forthcoming official visit of the President of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev to Moscow. The Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Mr. Vilayat Guliyev has said about this.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The fact of the occupation of the part of the Azerbaijan territory by Armenia is the evident fact. The report of the expert of the European Union on the South Caucasus Mr. Per Garton tells about this.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: On January 27 the discussion of the situation in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus as a whole in the second day of the winter session of the Parliament Assembly of the European Council passed successfully for Baku. A source in the Representation of Azerbaijan in the EC has expressed such opinion to the agency "Interfax-Azerbaijan".
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The volume of the average wage in Azerbaijan grew up by 21.5% in 2003 and mde 383.1 thou manats. In 2003 it made 315.2 thou manats (4933 manats/$1).
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: By January 1 of the current year the volume of the turnover monetary mass in Azerbaijan made 2.532 trln. Manats. As Media-Press has been informed in the press service of the National Bank, the growth in comparison with the analogous rate of 2002 made 28%.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: By January 1, 2004 the authorized capital of the Azerbaijan banks made 743.8 bn manats (4933 manats/$1). As it has been informed in the National Bank of Azerbaijan, the state banks capital makes 81 bn manats within frameworks of this total and the capital of the private banks makes 662.8 bn manats.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The volume of means and deposits attracted by the Azerbaijan banks by January 1, 2004 made 3.052 trln manats (4933 manats/$1). Deposits in the national currency makes 551.3 bn manats from this total, deposits in the foreign currency made 2.507 trln manats (81.9%).
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: By the information of the National Bank of Azerbaijan (NBA), 3.339 trln manats were invested to the economy of Azerbaijan for the past year (4933 manats/$1). As Media-Press has been informed in the press service of the NBA, the credits by a total of 2.452 trln manats are short-term and by 914.1 bn manats - long-term.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The construction industry of Azerbaijan needs in the additional capacities on the concrete production. For providing its requirements the government of the country plans the construction of else several enterprises on the production of concrete and negotiations with several companies and conducts negotiations with several companies on this matter.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The French Company Castel is interested in the construction of the Azebaijan vine plant, the Minister of the Economic Development of Azerbaijan has said.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The Austrian OMV and the Iranian NIGEC (the National Gas Export Company) have signed the agreement of intensions.
BAKU.28.01.2004.MEDIA-PRESS: The production of the oil products in Azerbaijan grew by 4.2% in 2003.
6.456 MM tons of oil were produced by the Azerbaijan International Operation Company (AIOC) on the field "Chiraq". Here the annual production has grown by 1%.
At the same time the gas production in Azerbaijan reduced by 0.3% for the current period and made 5.127 bn cubic meters and a share of the SOCAR made 8.75 MM and a share of the AIOC made 6.7 MM tons. 9.2 MM of this volume would be exported. 6.7 MM tons of oil would be pumped bey the pipeline Baku - Supsa and 2.5 MM tons - by the route Baku - Novorossiysk.
The gas production would make 5.02 bn cubic meters in 2004.
ON MAY THE SOCAR WOULD COMPLETE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW OFFSHORE PLATFORM
Modules for offshore stationary platforms delivered from Astrakhan had served a base for the OSP-13. During 10 years they had been staying idle in expectation for adjustment of the property dispute between the RF and Azerbaijan. Before the start of connection of modules to the OSP-13, the restoration works would be required. The state of the metallic constructions were satisfactory, however there were problems with the technological equipment. All power cables, control panels and other control-metering equipment were removed from the modules. The trust "Caspmornefitegazstroy" is the contractor of the SOCAR on the construction of the platform.
65% of the Azerbaijan oil or 83% of offshore oil of the country is produced in the shallow-water of the field "Guneshli". The remainder supplies of the deepwater part are estimated by 94 - 130 MM tons of oil and 75 bn cubic meters of gas.
THE FIRST PARTY OF PIPES FOR THE GAS PIPELINE BAKU - TBILISI - ERZURUM HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO GEORGIA
As "Interfax" has been informed in the Georgian International Oil Corporation (GINC) at the present time, unloading of 3 544 pipes of the first party. Their laying would allow to construct 41 km of gas main line, the total length of which makes 280 km.
It was noted in the GINC that pipes for the South-Caucasus gas pipeline and as well as for the constructing here oil pipeline Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan were produced in Japan and then covered by the special protection coat in Malaysia.
The South-Caucasus gas pipeline Baku - Tbilisi - Erzurum is provided for transportation of the Azerbaijan gas from the fields "Shakh-Deniz" to Turkey. The start of oil transportation is planned for the third quarter of 2006.
The works on the construction of the given pipeline would be carried out within frameworks of the firs stage of the development of the field "Shakh-Deniz". The following companies are shareholders of the project "Shakh-Deniz": BP (operator, 25.5%), Statoil (25.5%), The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (10%), LUKAgip (10%), OIEC (10%), TotalFinalElf(10%), TPAO (9%).
The "Stage-1" of the development of "Shakh-Deniz" provides the production of 178 bn cubic meters of gas and 34 MM tons of condensate. In the period of the maximum production on this stage on the field 8.4 bn cubic meters of gas and 2 MM tons of condensate would be produced annually. On the further stages the volumes of production would grow up to 16 bn cubic meters annually.
The const of "Stage-1" makes $3.2 bn and expenses for the production of the field an production of gas makes $2.3 of them, expenses for the construction of the gas pipeline make $0.9 bn.
The supplies of the field "Shakh-Deniz" are estimated by 625 bn cubic meters of gas and 101 MM tons of condensate.
TODAY THE NEXT ROUND OF THE TURKMEN-AZERBAIJAN NEGOTIATIONS ON THE CASPIAN PROBLEMS STARTED IN ASHGABAD TODAY
During two days a circle of issues on the working out of the legal status of the Caspian status would be discussing.
"Turkmenistan always supported the policy of searching the mutual agreed measures on adjustment of the Caspian problem, taking part actively in the negotiation process on the development of the Convention of the Caspian legal status, which is conducted by all the Caspian states", - the MFA of Turkmenistan has announced.
"Just in the capital of Turkmenistan, on April of 2002 the impulse for the constructive negotiation process was given at the first summit meeting of five Caspian countries and it gets new concrete content today. The framework Convention on the marine environment of the Caspian Sea signed in 2003 by all littoral countries including Turkmenistan is the convincing evidence of this", - it is told in the information.
However, it is well-known that just the position of Turkmenistan and also Iran has not let the littoral countries to adjust the legal status and Caspian sharing issues. Meanwhile Azerbaijan, Russian and Kazakhstan signed already bilateral agreement on sea boundaries in the Caspian Sea, the numerous meetings of the Azerbaijan and Turkmen experts have not give any results for the sides keep different principles of the determination of the middle line in the Sea, on a base of which boundaries of each country should be established in the Caspian Sea. This the main cause of the long time cooling in relations between two countries.
THE SPECIAL ENVOY OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF THE USA ON THE CASPIAN SEA SUPPORTS THE REASONABLE POWER RESOURCES CONSUMPTION IN THE REGION
"The USA pay a great attention to the perspectives of the power resources in the Caspian region", - Mr. S. Mann has noted. - We have the strict and constant interest in questions on pipelines from the Central Asia. The central element is the oil pipeline Baku - Ceyhan, however there are other important ways of power resources deliveries, e.g. the CPC (the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which passes from Kazakhstan by the territory of Russia".
"It is important for all us - Russia, the USA and the countries of the region, how would incomes from the power sources sales be used, especially in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan,- the American diplomat has emphasized. - Not a few interesting ideas on this matter have been offered, however it would be emphasized that the governments of our countries should concentrate their attention at reasonable consumption of power resources produced in the region and encourage the countries for this".
By the opinion of Mr. S. Mann, ensuring the transparency in all associated with the power resources production and their deliveries to the world markets. "The transparency ensures an economical increase", - he has emphasized. - We should maintain transparency standards in all countries of the region".
IN TURKEY THE DELEGATION OF AZERBAIJAN DISCUSS THE COURSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PIPELINE BAKU - TBILISI - CEYHAN
As it has been informed in the company BP-Azebaijan, the Azerbaijan delegation discussed already the course of the construction with the Minister of Energy of Turkey and the State Pipeline Company BOTAS, which lays the Turkish piece of BTC. The sides agreed on that the course of the realization woul be discussed monthly by working groups and by the governmental officials twice a months.
As it was informed earlier, the delay has appeared during the construction of the Turkish piece of the piopeline and it has threatened to timely putting into operation of BTC. However, BOTAS took a reliability of acceleration of works within its area.
The length of the MEP makes 1767 km and 443 of them pass through the territory of Azerbaijan, 248 km - through the territory of Georgia, 1076 km - through the territory of Turkey. The capacity of the pipeline makes 50 MM tons of oil in a year. The cost of the construction of the MEP makes $2.95 bn and 30% of them make the proper means of the companies-shareholders of the project, 70% - credits.
The construction works started on April 2003 and will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2004. The Azerbaijan oil export from the port Ceyhan (Turkey) is planned by the second quarter 2005.
BP (30,1%), the SOCAR (25%), Unocal (8,9%), Statoil (8,71%), TPAO (6,53%), ENI (5%), Itochu (3,4%), ConocoPhillips (2,5%), INPEX (2,5%), TotalFinaElf (5%) and Amerada Hess (2,36%) are the shareholders of the project.
THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE GARABAKH PROBLEM WOULD BE THE CENTRAL THEME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS OF MR. ALIYEV WITH MR. PUTIN - THE MFA OF AZERBAIJAN
The Minister has expressed a hope that during the negotiations the Russian authorities "clearly announce its position on the decision of the conflict". At the same time Mr. V. Guliyev has doubted in the objective position of the third countries in the Karabakh problem.
"Unfortunately, some countries represented in the Minsk Group of the OSCE base not only our interests, but their own ones. So it would be simple-minded to believe that someone shall adjust the conflict instead of us", - Mr. V. Guliyev has said.
THE EU EXPERT'S REPORT TELLS ABOUT A NECESSITY OF LIBERATION OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN BY ARMENIA
This report was approved at the sitting of the Foreign Afairs, Defence and Security Committee in Brussels on January 27, the official of Azerbaijan in the EU Mr. Arif Mamedov has informed the agency "Interfax-Azerbaijan" about this.
"As well the report tells that the liberation of five regions of Azerbaijan by Armenia are required in order that the refugees would be able to come back and the railway laying through these lands connecting Baku and Nakchivan would be restored", - the diplomat has said.
Mr. A. Mamedov considers the acceptance of the document in such form as a great success, as "the hard resistance of the Armenian lobby totally in Europe had been preventing to display the objective facts on the Nagorni Karabakh conflict history".
Supposedly the report of Mr. P. Garton would be approved at the plenary sitting of the session of the European Parliament, which would be held on February in Strassbourg.
CONSIDERATION OF THE SITUATION IN AZERBAIJAN IN THE PAEC PASSED SUCCESSFULLY FOR BAKU
"The acceptance of the fact of occupation of the part of the Azerbaijan territory by Armenia done by the PAEC in spite of the resistance of the Armenian delegation would be considered as the main success", - the source has noted.
The diplomat has called the other positive events for Azerbaijan at the present sessions of the PAEC: election of the Chief of the Azerbaijan Parliament Delegation Mr. Samed Seyidov the Bureau member and Vice-President of this organization. Mr. Ilham Aliyev elected the President of Azerbaijan had been appointed to these posts.
IN 2003 THE AVERAGE MONTHLY SALARY GREW UP BY 21.5% IN AZERBAIJAN
By the information of the State Statistic Department of the country the highest salary was in the production industry, construction and also in commercial and finance fields. The lowest one took place in fishery, agriculture, medicine and social field.
For the current year the average salary in Republic is forecasted at a level of 407 thou manats.
By the Edict of the President of Azerbaijan dated from August 4, 2003, the total of the minimum salary in the country was increased from 27.5 thou manats up to 45 thou manats since Septembner, 1 of the past year and since January of 2004 it was increased up to 60 thou manats.
THE VOLUME OF THE TURNOVER MONETARY MASS MADE 2.592 TRLN MANATS
Within the frameworks of the monetary mass the cash means have made 2.04 trln manats and 551.3 bn manats have made cashless means.
THE AUTHORIZED CAPITAL OF THE AZERBAIJAN BANKS MADE 743.8 BN MANATS
The authorized capital of banks with the foreign sharing made 294.9 bn manats by the beginning of the year, by other words this makes 39.6% of the AC of all banks of the country. In average, the capital of each bank makes 662.8 bn manats.
By December 1, 2003 46 banks operated in Azerbaijan: 17 banks with the foreign sharing were amongst this number; in 4 ones the foreign capital shares from 50 up to 100% and less than 50% in 11 of them and two branches of the banks-nonresidents.
BY JANUARY 1 THE BANKS OF AZERBAIJAN ATTRACTED 3.052 TRLN MANATS
The deposits of the physical persons in banks made 1.259 trln manats and 1.164 trln manats - in the foreign currency. The deposits of the juridical persons made 1.793 trln manats (1.336 trln in currency).
FOR A YEAR 3.339 TRLN MANATS WERE ALLOCATED TO THE ECONOMY OF AZERBAIJAN FOR A YEAR
A share of the state banks made 1.456 trln manats; funds of the private banks made1.524 trln manats and the means of the out of bank credit organizations made 359.1 bn manats. Only the third part of credits was allocated in national currency and the rest part in the foreign one.
The volume of the investments to the different fields of the economy looks as following: 20.62% of credits were allocated to the trade and service field; 12.22% - to the development of transport and communications; 7.44% - energy and development of the natural resources; 7.27% - to the agricultural sector. 7.94% of credits were allocated to the light industry, 5.52% - to the construction; credits to the physical persons made 27.49%; credits to the state administration field - 6.42%.
AZERBAIJAN NEEDS IN NEW PLANTS ON THE CONCRETE PRODUCTION
Mr. of the economic development of Azerbaijan Mr. Farkhad Aliyev has noted that on completion of the negotiations a decision on the construction of 1 - 2 new concrete plants may be accepted. By his words, one such company most likely would be constructed not far from Baku as the major part of supplies and resources is located on the Absheron Peninsula".
The CJC "Garadag-cement" is a single concrete producer in Azerbaijan and two Swiss companies share about 90%. The deliveries from Iran and Russia compensate lack of concrete volumes.
THE FRENCH CASTEL DISPLAYS THE INTEREST TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WINE PLANT IN AZERBAIJAN
"Within frameworks of the visit of the President of Azebaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev to France the last week, the meeting with the French businessmen was organized and officials of the French Company Castel expressed their interest to the construction of the plant on vine production in the country", - Mr. F. Aliyev has said.
"For the present this is only the intension of the company. In connection with this, a region, where the plant would be constructed and investments volume would be hardly called", - Mr. F. Aliyev has said and noted at the same time that the French companies are interested actively by Azerbaijan.
We shall remind that Castel has been represented in Azerbaijan by its branch Baku Castel, producing beer. The volume of investements of Castel to the development of the beer production industry of Azerbaijan exceeds $40 MM. The total volume of investments of the French companies to the economy of Azerbaijan makes about $300 MM.
THE PLANS ON THE IRANIAN GAS EXPORTATION TO EUROPE GET REAL SHAPE
It is noted in the agreement that the sides would study a possibility of cooperation intensification in the projects on exploration and operation of the Iranian fields and as well consider a possibility of connection of the Iranian side to the project of the construction of the gas pipeline from Turkey to Austria (the project Nabucco).
The NIOC (the National Iranian Oil Company) plans to export the natural gas produced in Iran to the Central and Western Europe through the territory of Turkey by means of its branch, it is told in the report. Particularly, the company EconGas, 50% of which is shared by the branch company of OMV - OMV Erdgas has displayed the interest to the long-term purchases of the Iranian gas.
OMV also is interested in the establishing of the long-term business relations with the NIOC and development of the gas and oil production in the Iranian projects. OMV is represented by its branch company OMV Iran Explroration GmbH in Iran.
OMV jointly with the Turkish Botas, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, the Hungarian MOL and Romanian Transgaz is shareholder of the joint company on the construction of the new gas pipeline from Turkey to Austria passing through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. It is planned to take a decision on purposefulness of the construction of this pipeline by the end of 2004.
In the end of 2003 the co-chairman of the OMV Mr. Volfgang Ruttenstorforfer informed that the company develops the project Nabucco, supposing the delivery of gas through Turkey to Austria and further to the Western Europe.
By his words, it will be the Russian gas as well as the Azerbaijan one. The President of the OMV noted that this project would be able to promote the interests of "Gazprom" on increasing gas deliveries volume to the European market.
THE PRODUCTION OF THE OIL PRODUCTS IN AZERBAIJAN GREW BY 4.2% IN 2003
In accordance with the State Statistic Department of Azerbaijan 714.1thou tons of car benzene were produced (a growth makes 17%), priming benzene - 297.5 thou tons (+17.6%), kerosene - 654.2 thou tons (+0.8%), mazut - 2 469 thou tons (-3.9%), diesel fuel - 1 638.2 thou tons (+2.8%). 25.8 thou tons (+21.1%) of libricated oil, 20.7 thou tons (-71%) of oil coke, oil bitumen - 79.4 thou tons (+55.7%) were produced for the current period.
There are totally two OPP - "Azerneftyag" and "Azerneftyanajag". The first one is specialized on the issue of the lubricated oils and other kinds of the oil products. The production capacity of the plant "Azerneftyag" makes 14 MM tons. "Azerneftyanajag" is specialized on the production of light oil products fractions. Its productivity makes 8 MM tons.
