Page 16 - FSUOGM Week 04 2023

FSUOGM NEWS IN BRIEF FSUOGM

Data shows Russia ramping construction of the Turkmenistan- memoranda of cooperation with two United
Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas
Arab Emirates-based firms, Petromal and
up diesel supplies to Turkey, pipeline if suitable deals are available, Dragon Oil. Qazaqgaz is hoping the two
companies will participate in Qazaqgaz-led
UrduPoint reported Russian officials as
Morocco ahead of EU embargo saying on January 19. exploration and the development of new
TAPI project participation would also
Kazakh gas assets.
Russia appears to have ramped up diesel be conditioned by an end to the instability The memorandum with Petromal
supplies to Turkey and Morocco as it in Afghanistan that could impact the also eyes the joint construction of a gas
attempts to reroute its oil products prior investment, they reportedly added. processing plant in Kazakhstan.
to the introduction of an EU embargo. The The agenda of a meeting between
situation is revealed by trader and Refinitiv Russian Deputy PM Alexander Novak
data reported by Reuters on January 18. and Turkmen Deputy PM for oil and gas Ex-Naftogaz CEO faces arrest
The European Union will fully ban Shahym Abdrahmanov included oil and
imports of Russian oil products from gas field cooperation as well as possible after investigation reveals illegal
February as part of a Western effort at joint undertakings in the power industry,
driving down Russian export revenues in including in renewables and civilian nuclear $10mn bonus
response to the Kremlin’s waging of war in energy.
Ukraine. Russia will respond to the ban by They also discussed oil and gas supplies, The ex-head of Naftogaz, Ukraine’s national
diverting supplies to Asia, Africa and Latin the construction of gas infrastructure and oil and gas giant, has found himself in
America, Russian Deputy Prime Minister the maintenance of ecological safety in the hot water after illegally rewarding himself
Alexander Novak has said. The prospect is Caspian Sea. The safety issue has previously a UAH229mn ($10mn) bonus, Interfax
that some of the diverted diesel and other been cited by Russian issues as standing Ukraine reported on January 19.
oil products will leak into the European in the way of Turkmenistan building Andriy Kobolev, who was fired from
market via third parties. infrastructure that would allow for it to his position in April 2021, is charged
The cited Refinitiv data showed diesel pipe gas to Azerbaijan from where it could with committing a crime under Part 5
supplies shipped from Russian ports to be transited to Europe via pipeline routes of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of
Turkey in December increased to more than crossing Georgia and Turkey. Ukraine, according to the Specialised Anti-
750,000 tonnes and totalled 5.05mn tonnes Assessing the difficulties posed to Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).
in 2022 in comparison to 3.99mn tonnes projects by instability in Afghanistan, The prosecutor's office asked the court to
in 2021. Since the start of January, Russia the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a put out an arrest warrant with an alternative
has already supplied Turkey with around statement: "As the situation in Afghanistan of a UAH365mn bail as a preventative
450,000 tonnes of diesel, it also showed. stabilises, domestic economic operators measure. The High Anti-Corruption Court
Diesel supplies from Russia to Morocco, may participate in the construction (HACC) postponed the decision until
meanwhile, climbed to 735,000 tonnes in and operation of the Turkmenistan- January 23, Ukranews reported.
2022 following only 66,000 tonnes in 2021. Afghanistan- Pakistan-India gas pipeline, "Investigators established that during
They have amounted to about 140,000 as well as in the restoration of large 2018 the board chairman illegally accrued
tonnes since the start of the new year. infrastructure projects built on the territory and was paid a bonus [of] an amount
Several cargoes were also supplied by of Afghanistan during the Soviet era." exceeding the highest allowable by
Russia to Ghana, Senegal, Libya and even UAH229,250,410," the prosecutor's office
Uruguay and Cote D'Ivoire, according to said.
Refinitiv. Kazakh gas pipeline operator that he had returned to Ukraine after being
Responding on Facebook, Kobolev said
seeks Middle East help in informed of the suspicion. He emphasised
Russia 'ready to participate if becoming gas producer that he was not going to flee or hide and
protested against the accusation.
conditions right' in Turkmen Kazakh state-owned gas pipeline operator was taking place, when I was abroad, I
“Understanding that its preparation
oil field development, TAPI gas Qazaqgaz has said it hopes to find potential immediately returned to Ukraine so as not
to give a reason for accusations that I ran
partners in the Middle East for domestic
pipeline construction natural gas projects. away or was hiding somewhere,” he wrote
on Facebook. “I am definitely not going
Qazaqgaz is planning to develop into a
Russian oil companies stand ready to major gas producer, diversifying away from to do this, but I am going to prove myself
participate in joint projects to develop its role as solely a pipeline operator. right."
oil fields in Turkmenistan and in the The company has already signed Kobolev is no stranger to scandals and

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