VZCZCXRO9835
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0123 0241001
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241001Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0135
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000123 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB 
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN 
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON 
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EPET TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN:  PREPARING TO CARRY OUT AUDIT OF 
SOUTH YOLOTEN-OSMAN FIELDS 
 
REF: ASHGABAT 0109 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (U) A January 23 article in "Neutralniyy Turkmenistan," 
"Turkmenistan's Colossal Petroleum Reserves to Be Confirmed 
by Independent Experts," indicated that the state firm, 
Turkmengeology, will shortly begin an assessment of real 
reserves in the adjoining South Yoloten (Gunorta Yoloten) and 
Osman fields.  According to the article, exploration has 
given the government grounds to believe that these two unique 
fields form one zone of oil and gas accumulation, and that, 
together, they represent a world-class field with several pay 
horizons at different depths.  If this is confirmed, the 
article continued, this would be the largest hydrocarbons 
discovery in Turkmenistan's history.  The government is 
negotiating with an international company to conduct a 
special audit of the reserves in the two fields. 
 
¶3.  (U) It is not clear whether this special audit will be 
separate from or the first part of the audit of all 
Turkmenistan's hydrocarbons reserves that President 
Berdimuhamedov ordered on December 26.  The article stressed 
that the Turkmenistan-wide audit ordered by the president, if 
carried out by an internationally recognized consulting 
company, will substantially increase Turkmenistan's 
discovered reserves and speed up commercial development of 
rich deposits.  This, in turn, will increase the country's 
energy potential and allow hydrocarbon officials to adjust 
Turkmenistan's long-term petroleum sector development plan. 
Such an audit, the article added, is also a requirement for 
receiving loans from all world banks requiring guarantees of 
loan payments, and would offer an incentive for attracting 
foreign investment.  The article concluded that large 
potential reserves will allow successful implementation of 
all Turkmenistan's objectives, especially strengthening its 
energy security and developing a multiple-route export 
pipeline system that would allow long-term supply of 
Turkmenistan's energy to world markets. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) COMMENT:  This article is intriguing because of the 
timing of the special audit -- both Chevron and a consortium 
of U.S. firms reportedly have submitted proposals to work in 
the Amu Darya basin, in which the South Yoloten-Osman area is 
located -- and because of the article's focus on the need to 
attract foreign investors.  While it is not clear to what 
extent the government is reevaluating its previous ban 
against allowing foreign firms (with the exception of China 
National Petroleum Corporation) to work in eastern 
Turkmenistan, the article seems to imply that Turkmenistan's 
hydrocarbon agencies may be gearing up to make the case for 
involving foreign firms in efforts to develop this 
purportedly giant new field.  The possibility that 
Turkmenistan may be trying to get a handle on just what it 
holds before it enters serious negotiations with any foreign 
companies may also explain, in part, the lack of response to 
date to Chevron's onshore proposal (reftel).  END COMMENT. 
HOAGLAND