Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT1158
2009-09-11 11:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN ACQUIRES TWO NEW OIL TANKERS.
how-toVZCZCXRO3379 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #1158 2541143 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 111143Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3450 INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5658 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3376 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3240 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3901 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1136 RHMCUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3891 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001158
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCE/CEN; EEB
COMMERCE FOR EHOUSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EIND EPET EINT EINV ECON PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN ACQUIRES TWO NEW OIL TANKERS.
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001158
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCE/CEN; EEB
COMMERCE FOR EHOUSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EIND EPET EINT EINV ECON PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN ACQUIRES TWO NEW OIL TANKERS.
1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Not for Public
Internet.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY. Turkmenistan received its second
Russian-made oil tanker on September 8; the "Hazar"
(Turkmen for "Caspian") was built in Krasnoye Sormovo
(Novgorod),Russia. In August, the first tanker, the
"Sumbar", named after the Sumbar River in Western
Turkmenistan, arrived in Turkmenistan. It is expected
that Turkmenistan will use these tankers for future
crude oil exports. The state company
Turkmendenizderyayollary (Turkmen Sea and River Lines
Co.),will operate the vessels, but ownership belongs
to the Turkmen state oil company Turkmenneft. In the
past, Turkmenistan had one oil tanker, the "Atamurad
Niyazov", which reportedly was in constant need of
repair from the time of delivery. END SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) In addition to large tankers, acquisition of
speedboats and commercial ships are also under
consideration by the Turkmen government. It was
reported that South Korean giant Daewoo continues to
offer small boats, speedboats for police use, and
larger ships to the Turkmen. The recent Turkmenistan
tanker purchases signify GOTX plans to diversify its
oil deliveries. In addition, attention to maritime
transportation and services is on the rise in
Turkmenistan.
4. (SBU) The two oil tankers have been earmarked for
domestic use and oil export. To date, Turkmenneft
uses railway and truck tankers to deliver its oil
exports. In terms of past tanker ships, Turkmenneft
only had the "Atamurad Niyazov." This Turkish-built
tanker, named after former President Niyazov's father,
was not accredited by the Maritime Register of Russia,
the sole regulatory body for ships in the Caspian
basin. The "A. Niyazov" was used only for coastal
shipments of crude from Caspian onshore oil deposits
in Ekarem, a small seaport in Western Turkmenistan, to
the Turkmenbashy Oil Refinery, the largest refinery in
the country. It was reported that the crew of the
"A. Niyazov" stated privately that the ship had
serious manufacturing defects from the time of its
purchase. Moreover, the only waterway from the
landlocked Caspian to the ocean is through the Volga-
Don canal. Previously, Turkmenistan used this route
to send its crude via foreign tankers. Embassy
contacts reported that the Turkmen might try to send
oil through this route in its two new tankers.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The Turkmen government's purchase of
two large oil tankers meshes with government promises
to diversify its lucrative hydrocarbon sector. Time
will tell if the new Russian tankers truly provide the
Turkmen with more oil delivery options. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCE/CEN; EEB
COMMERCE FOR EHOUSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EIND EPET EINT EINV ECON PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN ACQUIRES TWO NEW OIL TANKERS.
1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Not for Public
Internet.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY. Turkmenistan received its second
Russian-made oil tanker on September 8; the "Hazar"
(Turkmen for "Caspian") was built in Krasnoye Sormovo
(Novgorod),Russia. In August, the first tanker, the
"Sumbar", named after the Sumbar River in Western
Turkmenistan, arrived in Turkmenistan. It is expected
that Turkmenistan will use these tankers for future
crude oil exports. The state company
Turkmendenizderyayollary (Turkmen Sea and River Lines
Co.),will operate the vessels, but ownership belongs
to the Turkmen state oil company Turkmenneft. In the
past, Turkmenistan had one oil tanker, the "Atamurad
Niyazov", which reportedly was in constant need of
repair from the time of delivery. END SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) In addition to large tankers, acquisition of
speedboats and commercial ships are also under
consideration by the Turkmen government. It was
reported that South Korean giant Daewoo continues to
offer small boats, speedboats for police use, and
larger ships to the Turkmen. The recent Turkmenistan
tanker purchases signify GOTX plans to diversify its
oil deliveries. In addition, attention to maritime
transportation and services is on the rise in
Turkmenistan.
4. (SBU) The two oil tankers have been earmarked for
domestic use and oil export. To date, Turkmenneft
uses railway and truck tankers to deliver its oil
exports. In terms of past tanker ships, Turkmenneft
only had the "Atamurad Niyazov." This Turkish-built
tanker, named after former President Niyazov's father,
was not accredited by the Maritime Register of Russia,
the sole regulatory body for ships in the Caspian
basin. The "A. Niyazov" was used only for coastal
shipments of crude from Caspian onshore oil deposits
in Ekarem, a small seaport in Western Turkmenistan, to
the Turkmenbashy Oil Refinery, the largest refinery in
the country. It was reported that the crew of the
"A. Niyazov" stated privately that the ship had
serious manufacturing defects from the time of its
purchase. Moreover, the only waterway from the
landlocked Caspian to the ocean is through the Volga-
Don canal. Previously, Turkmenistan used this route
to send its crude via foreign tankers. Embassy
contacts reported that the Turkmen might try to send
oil through this route in its two new tankers.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The Turkmen government's purchase of
two large oil tankers meshes with government promises
to diversify its lucrative hydrocarbon sector. Time
will tell if the new Russian tankers truly provide the
Turkmen with more oil delivery options. END COMMENT.
CURRAN