Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASHGABAT1353
2007-12-14 12:10:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: REPORTS ABOUT LUKOIL/CONOCOPHILLIPS
how-toVZCZCXRO1989 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #1353 3481210 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 141210Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9882 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3107 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0922 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0796 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 1372 RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001353
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN AND EEB; STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN
STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EPET TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: REPORTS ABOUT LUKOIL/CONOCOPHILLIPS
SIGNING PSA PREMATURE
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1222
B. ASHGABAT 1104
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001353
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN AND EEB; STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN
STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EPET TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: REPORTS ABOUT LUKOIL/CONOCOPHILLIPS
SIGNING PSA PREMATURE
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1222
B. ASHGABAT 1104
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) On December 12, Moscow's Interfax news agency
issued a report, cited to Lukoil board member Richard Matske,
that Lukoil had signed an agreement with Turkmenistan to
develop three Caspian Sea blocks. The following day,
Interfax reported that Lukoil had denied that any agreement
has been reached. ConocoPhillips had been scheduled to visit
Ashgabat on/around December 13, but the day after the EMBASSY
submitted the company's request for December 13 meetings with
Foreign Minister Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of
Ministers for Oil and Gas Tagyev and Executive Director for
the State Agency for Hydrocarbon Resources Muradov, the
company abruptly and without explanation canceled its visit.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: As reported ref a, Lukoil/ConocoPhillips
originally had hoped to sign at least one PSA for blocks 19,
20 and 21 during Turkmenistan's November 13-15 oil and gas
exhibit. The talk on the diplomatic circuit is that no PSA
has yet been signed because Lukoil/ConocoPhillips is looking
for a revision to Turkmenistan's Petroleum Law that would
clearly give the State Agency the authority to sign the PSA.
Absent word from Moscow that Lukoil and ConocoPhillips are
having differences, EMBASSY believes that the December 12
Interfax statement might have been premature, and that there
may be more than a bit of truth in the rumors that the
Petroleum Law is being amended once again. Whether the
driver for any new amendments is an effort to strengthen the
State Agency's (and Muradov's) authority vis-a-vis the
Ministry of Oil and Gas (and Tagyev),as many are suggesting,
or the need to change the law to allow for new types of
contractual arrangements (ref b) remains to be seen, however.
CURRAN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN AND EEB; STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN
STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EPET TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: REPORTS ABOUT LUKOIL/CONOCOPHILLIPS
SIGNING PSA PREMATURE
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1222
B. ASHGABAT 1104
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) On December 12, Moscow's Interfax news agency
issued a report, cited to Lukoil board member Richard Matske,
that Lukoil had signed an agreement with Turkmenistan to
develop three Caspian Sea blocks. The following day,
Interfax reported that Lukoil had denied that any agreement
has been reached. ConocoPhillips had been scheduled to visit
Ashgabat on/around December 13, but the day after the EMBASSY
submitted the company's request for December 13 meetings with
Foreign Minister Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of
Ministers for Oil and Gas Tagyev and Executive Director for
the State Agency for Hydrocarbon Resources Muradov, the
company abruptly and without explanation canceled its visit.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: As reported ref a, Lukoil/ConocoPhillips
originally had hoped to sign at least one PSA for blocks 19,
20 and 21 during Turkmenistan's November 13-15 oil and gas
exhibit. The talk on the diplomatic circuit is that no PSA
has yet been signed because Lukoil/ConocoPhillips is looking
for a revision to Turkmenistan's Petroleum Law that would
clearly give the State Agency the authority to sign the PSA.
Absent word from Moscow that Lukoil and ConocoPhillips are
having differences, EMBASSY believes that the December 12
Interfax statement might have been premature, and that there
may be more than a bit of truth in the rumors that the
Petroleum Law is being amended once again. Whether the
driver for any new amendments is an effort to strengthen the
State Agency's (and Muradov's) authority vis-a-vis the
Ministry of Oil and Gas (and Tagyev),as many are suggesting,
or the need to change the law to allow for new types of
contractual arrangements (ref b) remains to be seen, however.
CURRAN