The U.S. Energy Information Administration has issued a study on the oil and gas resources of the Fergana basin, part of the former Soviet Union republics of Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
It noted that Uzbekistan has offered acreage for exploration and development in the basin, and Kyrgyzstan is considering doing so. The report covers 177 reservoirs in 53 fields discovered by the end of 1987.
EIA said that of an estimated 1 billion bbl of oil discovered, 700 million is classed as remaining proved and probable. Of about 1.8 tcf of nonassociated gas discovered, about 1 tcf is estimated as remaining proved and probable.
Of the 3 billion bbl of undiscovered recoverable oil resources, about 2.7 billion bbl is believed to lie in a relatively new play in the basin's deep central graben. The play was signaled by a large blowout in Mingbulak field in 1992.
Development of the basin's oil and gas will require extensive capital investment due to the depths involved and the need for construction of transportation facilities for oil export.
"Existing oil pipelines do not exit the basin. Gas pipelines do," EIA said. "However, the two oil refineries in the basin have excess capacity, and there is potential for less expensive oil development.
"In recent years, relatively small oil and gas accumulations were found on the basin's flanks at depths less than 10,000 ft. More of these types of accumulations remain to be discovered. Additionally, various discovered fields are suspected to be underdeveloped," EIA said.
The report is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office and from the National Energy Information Center at the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. A computer diskette is available from EIA's Dallas office at 214-767-2200.
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