TASHKENT, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Executives from BP and
Azerbaijan's SOCAR will visit Uzbekistan this month for talks
about potential production sharing agreements to develop local
hydrocarbon deposits, the Central Asian nation's energy ministry
said on Wednesday.
Uzbekistan, keen to attract foreign investment to tap its
large natural gas reserves, has been in talks with the two
companies about three contract territories in its western
Ustyurt region.
On Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement it planned to
host talks with SOCAR and BP representatives this month "to
discuss the main terms of a production sharing agreement". It
provided no further details.
The former Soviet republic produces about 60 billion cubic
metres of gas per year, exporting some of its output by
pipelines to China and Russia.
(Reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov
Writing by Olzhas Auyezov
Editing by Louise Heavens)