Page 16 - FSUOGM Week 48 2021

FSUOGM NEWS IN BRIEF FSUOGM

LUKOIL’s gas production in Pakistan TAPI pipeline and the development of direct relations between
the private sectors to improve bilateral trade
Uzbekistan expands 77% CASA-1000 power export relations. He said the Azerbaijani embassy is
ready to organize online meetings between
LUKOIL produced 8.76bn cubic metres projects suspended due to companies of the two countries, after which the
(bcm) of gas in Uzbekistan in the first nine exchange of trade delegations may take place.
months of this year, up 77% y/y, according Afghan situation "Azerbaijan has signed agreements with
to the company’s 3Q report. Average daily the EU and other countries, and Pakistan's
production expanded by 80% compared to Work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- close economic cooperation with our
the same period in 2020. Pakistan-India) gas pipeline project country will ensure easy access of Pakistani
In 2020, LUKOIL reduced its Uzbek gas and CASA-1000 Central Asia to South products to Central Asian and European
production to 20% of design capacity for Asia electricity export project has markets," Farhadov added. The ambassador
several months due to falling demand in been suspended until the situation in said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan are
China. As a result, the company ended the Afghanistan stabilises, Pakistan’s Federal working on a preferential agreement, which
second and third quarters of last year with Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub will reduce customs tariffs and improve
losses, and annual profit fell 38.6-fold, from Khan was quoted as saying by TASS on bilateral trade between the two countries.
RUB 642.2bn to RUB 16.6bn. November 26. He also believes that Pakistani companies,
Overall, the company’s profit following "The work on the TAPI, as well as on including pharma companies, have a good
the 3Q2021 results increased 3.8 times y/y other projects like CASA-1000 [a power potential to open production facilities in
to RUB 192.5bn. transmission system project that would Azerbaijan.
enable the export of surplus electricity from President ICCI Muhammad Shakeel
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan Munir said that the bilateral trade of
SOCAR sets up new petrol and Pakistan], is on hold due to the around $16mn-17mn between Pakistan and
Azerbaijan was quite less than the "actual
situation in Afghanistan. According to the
station on Gorus-Gafan road information that we have, at the moment potential" of both countries and said that
no one is working on this project in
more efforts should be made from both
Azerbaijan's SOCAR Petroleum has put Afghanistan as well as on other projects. sides to improve it.
into operation a new filling station under Many people have been evacuated, and
the SOCAR brand on the Gorus-Gafan representatives of the World Bank are no
road section in the newly retaken Gubadli longer represented in Afghanistan," the Uzbekistan imports 300mn
region. The road was subject to controversy minister was reported as saying.
before when Azerbaijan started to charge "After stabilising the situation, we will be litres of gasoline in first 10
road tolls on Iranian trucks. able to return to the issue of construction.
Ibrahim Ahmedov, Deputy Head of the But for now, the project has been suspended months
PR department of SOCAR, said that "the until the situation is cleared up," he was
gas station will ensure uninterrupted fuel further cited as saying. Uzbekistan imported over 300mn litres
supply of vehicles used in construction of motor gasoline in January-October,
work in the liberated territories". According according to the country's statistical
to him, the number of filling stations under SOCAR plans to invest in committee.
the SOCAR brand reached 41. "There The figure is 128mn litres, or 1.74 times
are already three filling stations in the Pakistan higher, year on year. Russia and Turkmenistan
Karabakh region." were the main exporters to motor gasoline to
Akhmedov said that the petrol station SOCAR plans to invest $1bn in Pakistan's Uzbekistan, shipping 142mn and 136mn litres,
operates on the principle of self-service, energy sector, according to the Azerbaijani respectively.
the client pays through a special payment ambassador to Islamabad Khazar Farhadov: In October alone, Uzbekistan imported
terminal, and fills the tank himself: “The gas "In general, other Azerbaijani companies 9.2mn litres from Turkmenistan and 1.8mn
station has three fuel dispensers. The gas are also interested in establishing joint litres from Russia. Iran supplied over 1mn litres.
station sells A-95 Premium, A-92 gasoline ventures with Pakistani partners and Also in the first 10 months, Uzbekistan
and diesel fuel. The stations can refuel four investing in Pakistan, as they see the domestically produced 902,700 tonnes of
small and one large-capacity vehicle.” He country as a potential market for business gasoline, or 1.2bn litres. This means that
also noted that SOCAR had previously and investment," Farhadov said during the country imported 20% of gasoline
opened modular gas stations in Shusha a visit to the Chamber of Commerce in consumed in Uzbekistan in the period.
and Aghdam region. “The last gas station Islamabad (ICCI), according to Pakistan Some 78.8% of gasoline produced in
put into operation is located in the Eyvazli Observer. Uzbekistan was made by the Bukhara
village of Gubadli region". The ambassador said that the leaderships refinery, while 21.1% was produced by the
of Azerbaijan and Pakistan are making Ferghana refinery.
efforts to expand economic cooperation,
and both countries should pay attention to

P16 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 48 01•December•2021