From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Wed Sep 03 2003 - 09:38:32 EDT
Uzbek gas pipeline bypassing Turkmenistan in south launched
Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax
Tashkent, 2 September: Uzbekistan has completed the construction of the
Shurtan-Sherobod gas pipeline in the country's southern regions
bypassing Turkmenistan, a source in the leadership of the Uzbek national
oil and gas holding company told Interfax.
The source said the 90bn-som [90m-dollar] pipeline was built at the
expense of the holding company and will be operated by the Uztransgaz
company. The 193-km line has an annual throughput capacity of about
1,000 cu.m. of natural gas [as received; presumably 1,000m or 1bn cu.m.]
The USA's Zeromax built the most difficult section in the mountains
between the 81st and 167th kilometres, while Uzneftegazstroy built the
rest.
Natural gas previously was transported to southern Uzbekistan along the
Kelif-Dushanbe [linking the Turkmen town of Kelif with the Tajik
capital, Dushanbe] and Kelif-Mubarek [the latter is a town in southern
Uzbekistan] pipelines which mainly run across Turkmenistan.
The commissioning of the new pipeline will put an end to Uzbek gas
transit via Turkmenistan and fully satisfy the needs of households and
industry for natural gas in southern Uzbekistan. The same route can be
used for exporting gas to Tajikistan.
Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 0925 gmt 2 Sep 03
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