Wednesday, April 11, 2012 -
A Turkmen government official on Wednesday revealed plans by the German energy group RWE AG to begin drilling a Caspian Sea offshore field in early 2013.
RWE Dea AG, a unit of the German firm, will explore Block 23 which is located in the south-eastern region of the Caspian Sea, immediately off the Turkmenistan coast.
"The start of the work is scheduled for the first quarter of 2013," the official told the Reuters news agency on condition of not being identified.
The firm has announced a number of international tenders “on providing services for hydrocarbon gas detection as well as for cable cabotage services," the official said.
RWE was granted an exploration license in 2009. It carried out an environmental study in 2010, based on material already available. It is a key shareholder in the Nabucco project, which aims to bring Central Asian gas to power Europe.
The company’s web site said it will conduct 3D seismic testing and bore exploration wells across the main parts of the license area.
License block 23 covers an area of some 363,000 square miles.
Turkmenistan holds the world’s fourth largest reserves of natural gas and is Central Asia’s largest producer and exporter.
But the country’s huge hydrocarbon fields are located onshore, while its offshore deposits are considered more risky and less lucrative.