Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASHGABAT1067
2007-10-03 11:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: CHEVRON PLANS TO OPEN OFFICE, HOPES
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001067
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS USTDA DAN STEIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL EPET EINV ASEC TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: CHEVRON PLANS TO OPEN OFFICE, HOPES
FOR OFF-SHORE AND AMU DARYA DRILLING
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1066
B. ASHGABAT 997
Classified By: CHARGE RICHARD E. HOAGLAND FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001067
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS USTDA DAN STEIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL EPET EINV ASEC TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: CHEVRON PLANS TO OPEN OFFICE, HOPES
FOR OFF-SHORE AND AMU DARYA DRILLING
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1066
B. ASHGABAT 997
Classified By: CHARGE RICHARD E. HOAGLAND FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (C) SUMMARY: According to two Chevron security officers,
the oil company plans to open an office in Ashgabat in
November or December, with an expatriate staff of four or
five persons. Chevron is yet to name a country director.
The company has proposals to work two sectors of Serdar
off-shore and a section of the Amu Darya on-shore. The
Chevron officials said they are most optimistic about the Amu
Darya proposal and believe Chevron has a comparative
technological edge over its competitors. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Two security officers from Chevron, in Ashgabat to
prepare to open an office in Turkmenistan, met October 2 with
RSO and Emboffs. They plan initially to staff the office
with four or five expats but have yet to name their country
manager. There are no plans to send a security officer
permanently to Turkmenistan. The security officers promised
to let the Embassy know when a location has been found and a
country director named. (COMMENT: MFA told Charge that
Chevron's offices would be in a hotel in the southern part of
town. It's likely that the government offered the venue, but
the oil company has made no decision yet. END COMMENT.)
Current thinking is to send dependents of office staff, but
the Chevron officials said the determining factor would be
the availability of emergency medical evacuation services and
the state of health care facilities. (NOTE: Earlier in the
day, Ashgabat International School director told DCM that he
had been visited by the Chevron officials, who inquired about
dependent education. He told them that the school could
accommodate another four or five students, but an additional
15 or so would be out of the question, at least in the near
term. END NOTE.)
3. (C) The Chevron officials told Emboffs that Chevron's
proposals to the government included working two blocks in
the Serdar field off-shore and a joint venture with a Turkmen
state energy partner to develop further the Amu Darya basin
on-shore. They said that the Serdar blocks were close to the
disputed area, and for that reason, they were not certain
that they would get approval to work in the Caspian. They
expressed greater optimism about the Amu Darya proposal.
They did not rule out also establishing an office in
Turkmenabat, closer to the Amu Darya, given the distance from
Ashgabat.
4. (C) According to the Chevron officials, a company
executive had recently had a very successful, high-level
visit to Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. They noted
talks with Nazarbayev had gone particularly well. They hoped
that the positive tone from that visit would extend here as
the companies' proposals are being considered. They were
also encouraged by talks in April between the company's
visiting Moscow office head and Turkmenistan officials. The
Chevron officials said their company has a real comparative
edge with technology, especially in the area of deep-water
drilling.
5. (C) COMMENT: While many U.S. hydrocarbon and service
companies currently are looking for investment opportunities
in Turkmenistan, Chevron -- which started making contact last
April and which, according to the Executive Director of
Turkmenistan's State Agency for Management and Use of
Hydrocarbon Resources, Bayrammurat Muradov, is willing to
consider some unconventional (for Turkmenistan) arrangements
for joint operations (reftel A) -- is ahead of most of the
rest of the pack. Other companies, most of whom seem to be
tendering bids for production sharing agreements, may well
follow if their bids are accepted. END COMMENT.
ASHGABAT 00001067 002 OF 002
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS USTDA DAN STEIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL EPET EINV ASEC TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: CHEVRON PLANS TO OPEN OFFICE, HOPES
FOR OFF-SHORE AND AMU DARYA DRILLING
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1066
B. ASHGABAT 997
Classified By: CHARGE RICHARD E. HOAGLAND FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (C) SUMMARY: According to two Chevron security officers,
the oil company plans to open an office in Ashgabat in
November or December, with an expatriate staff of four or
five persons. Chevron is yet to name a country director.
The company has proposals to work two sectors of Serdar
off-shore and a section of the Amu Darya on-shore. The
Chevron officials said they are most optimistic about the Amu
Darya proposal and believe Chevron has a comparative
technological edge over its competitors. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Two security officers from Chevron, in Ashgabat to
prepare to open an office in Turkmenistan, met October 2 with
RSO and Emboffs. They plan initially to staff the office
with four or five expats but have yet to name their country
manager. There are no plans to send a security officer
permanently to Turkmenistan. The security officers promised
to let the Embassy know when a location has been found and a
country director named. (COMMENT: MFA told Charge that
Chevron's offices would be in a hotel in the southern part of
town. It's likely that the government offered the venue, but
the oil company has made no decision yet. END COMMENT.)
Current thinking is to send dependents of office staff, but
the Chevron officials said the determining factor would be
the availability of emergency medical evacuation services and
the state of health care facilities. (NOTE: Earlier in the
day, Ashgabat International School director told DCM that he
had been visited by the Chevron officials, who inquired about
dependent education. He told them that the school could
accommodate another four or five students, but an additional
15 or so would be out of the question, at least in the near
term. END NOTE.)
3. (C) The Chevron officials told Emboffs that Chevron's
proposals to the government included working two blocks in
the Serdar field off-shore and a joint venture with a Turkmen
state energy partner to develop further the Amu Darya basin
on-shore. They said that the Serdar blocks were close to the
disputed area, and for that reason, they were not certain
that they would get approval to work in the Caspian. They
expressed greater optimism about the Amu Darya proposal.
They did not rule out also establishing an office in
Turkmenabat, closer to the Amu Darya, given the distance from
Ashgabat.
4. (C) According to the Chevron officials, a company
executive had recently had a very successful, high-level
visit to Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. They noted
talks with Nazarbayev had gone particularly well. They hoped
that the positive tone from that visit would extend here as
the companies' proposals are being considered. They were
also encouraged by talks in April between the company's
visiting Moscow office head and Turkmenistan officials. The
Chevron officials said their company has a real comparative
edge with technology, especially in the area of deep-water
drilling.
5. (C) COMMENT: While many U.S. hydrocarbon and service
companies currently are looking for investment opportunities
in Turkmenistan, Chevron -- which started making contact last
April and which, according to the Executive Director of
Turkmenistan's State Agency for Management and Use of
Hydrocarbon Resources, Bayrammurat Muradov, is willing to
consider some unconventional (for Turkmenistan) arrangements
for joint operations (reftel A) -- is ahead of most of the
rest of the pack. Other companies, most of whom seem to be
tendering bids for production sharing agreements, may well
follow if their bids are accepted. END COMMENT.
ASHGABAT 00001067 002 OF 002
HOAGLAND