Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT1425
2008-10-31 12:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: CHEVRON OFFER OF TRAINING
how-toVZCZCXRO0069 PP RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHAH #1425 3051237 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 311237Z OCT 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1782 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4451 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2263 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2128 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2699 RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3018
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001425
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF, THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2018
TAGS: PREL ECON EPET TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: CHEVRON OFFER OF TRAINING
POTENTIALLY BEARING FRUIT
REF: ASHGABAT 1354
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001425
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF, THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2018
TAGS: PREL ECON EPET TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: CHEVRON OFFER OF TRAINING
POTENTIALLY BEARING FRUIT
REF: ASHGABAT 1354
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) The Chevron Amcit country manager told Charge October
30 that the company's proposals to provide training to
Turkmen officials may be starting to bear some fruit. In
early October, he sent a letter to State Agency for the
Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources Director
Yagshygeldi Kakayev, requesting the nomination of 30
participants to attend a two-day workshop on carbonate
reservoirs, drilling in salt environments and operations in
high-pressure, high-temperature, high H2S environments. In
addition, he had proposed to Turkmen Gas head Baymurat
Hojamuhammedov a workshop on project management, also for 30
officials (reftel). Although he is yet to hear back from
Kakayev, Hojamuhammedov sent him a letter accepting the
offer. The project management workshop is now scheduled for
December 2-4.
2. (C) On October 29, the country manager met with
Hojamuhammedov to follow up. The country manager said
difference between this meeting and previous ones with the
Turkmen Gas official was like night and day. He was more
friendly and relaxed and was extremely appreciative of the
workshop. When the country manager broached the idea of
Chevron working onshore, Hojamuhammedov brought out a
schematic that showed plans for developing South Yoloten and
Osman. Eight facilities - seven in South Yoloten and one in
Osman - will be built. Pipes from wells will feed into the
facilities, each of which will be designed to handle 10
bcm/year. Gas from the facilities will feed into a
desulfurization/final processing facility to prepare the gas
for export.
3. (C) Hojamuhammedov said that Turkmen officials are in
negotiations with Turkish, Chinese, and South Korean
companies to construct these facilities and to work as
service providers. They are also in negotiations with one of
these companies to handle production in one 10 bcm area. The
Chevron country manager suggested that his company provide
coordination for the entire complex, an idea Hojamuhammedov
reportedly found intriguing. Nevertheless, Hojamuhammedov
said a PSA would not be possible. Looking for a possible way
forward, the Chevron manager asked if there could be an
agreement where payment would be based on the level of
success. He said as long as the agreement was long-term, it
could be doable for Chevron. He then offered to provide
Hojamuhammedov a model agreement to have a better idea of
what he meant. Hojamuhammedov said he would welcome the
model agreement and would respond after reviewing it.
4. (C) COMMENT: One has to be creative to be successful in
Turkmenistan. One thing Hojamuhammedov had asked Chevron in
a meeting months ago was, "what can you do for us?"
Hopefully, providing training is one answer to that question,
and will serve as an incentive for the Turkmenistan
government to find a mutually beneficial way for Chevron to
work onshore. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF, THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2018
TAGS: PREL ECON EPET TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: CHEVRON OFFER OF TRAINING
POTENTIALLY BEARING FRUIT
REF: ASHGABAT 1354
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) The Chevron Amcit country manager told Charge October
30 that the company's proposals to provide training to
Turkmen officials may be starting to bear some fruit. In
early October, he sent a letter to State Agency for the
Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources Director
Yagshygeldi Kakayev, requesting the nomination of 30
participants to attend a two-day workshop on carbonate
reservoirs, drilling in salt environments and operations in
high-pressure, high-temperature, high H2S environments. In
addition, he had proposed to Turkmen Gas head Baymurat
Hojamuhammedov a workshop on project management, also for 30
officials (reftel). Although he is yet to hear back from
Kakayev, Hojamuhammedov sent him a letter accepting the
offer. The project management workshop is now scheduled for
December 2-4.
2. (C) On October 29, the country manager met with
Hojamuhammedov to follow up. The country manager said
difference between this meeting and previous ones with the
Turkmen Gas official was like night and day. He was more
friendly and relaxed and was extremely appreciative of the
workshop. When the country manager broached the idea of
Chevron working onshore, Hojamuhammedov brought out a
schematic that showed plans for developing South Yoloten and
Osman. Eight facilities - seven in South Yoloten and one in
Osman - will be built. Pipes from wells will feed into the
facilities, each of which will be designed to handle 10
bcm/year. Gas from the facilities will feed into a
desulfurization/final processing facility to prepare the gas
for export.
3. (C) Hojamuhammedov said that Turkmen officials are in
negotiations with Turkish, Chinese, and South Korean
companies to construct these facilities and to work as
service providers. They are also in negotiations with one of
these companies to handle production in one 10 bcm area. The
Chevron country manager suggested that his company provide
coordination for the entire complex, an idea Hojamuhammedov
reportedly found intriguing. Nevertheless, Hojamuhammedov
said a PSA would not be possible. Looking for a possible way
forward, the Chevron manager asked if there could be an
agreement where payment would be based on the level of
success. He said as long as the agreement was long-term, it
could be doable for Chevron. He then offered to provide
Hojamuhammedov a model agreement to have a better idea of
what he meant. Hojamuhammedov said he would welcome the
model agreement and would respond after reviewing it.
4. (C) COMMENT: One has to be creative to be successful in
Turkmenistan. One thing Hojamuhammedov had asked Chevron in
a meeting months ago was, "what can you do for us?"
Hopefully, providing training is one answer to that question,
and will serve as an incentive for the Turkmenistan
government to find a mutually beneficial way for Chevron to
work onshore. END COMMENT.
CURRAN