Factory “Qandim”

The Kandym plant

Nuraddinov Mustafo

• The Kandym plant is Lukoil's largest investment project in Uzbekistan, which will create more than 2,000 jobs.

• The Kandym gas processing plant processes 8 billion cubic meters of gas per year. It produces pure natural gas, gas condensate and sulfur from gas containing hydrogen sulfide. The plant has a system for exporting and loading finished products through main pipelines.

• Gas raw materials will be supplied to the plant from 6 gas fields of the Kandym group: Kandym, Kuvachi-Alat, Akkum, Parsankol, Haji, West Haji. These deposits are located near the border with Turkmenistan. 77 gas wells have been drilled there.

• The construction of the Kandym gas processing plant was carried out in accordance with the production sharing agreement. The contract was originally set at 35 years (until 2039). In 2015, its term was extended for another 7 years (until 2046).

• Lukoil's investments in Uzbekistan currently exceed 7 billion. The company has been operating in the Uzbek market for 15 years.

• Russia's Lukoil, which has been cooperating with the Uzbek oil and gas industry for many years, has been working with Uzbekneftegaz on the Kandym project since 2004.

• In 2014, Lukoil signed a contract with South Korea's Hyundai Engineering for the construction of the Kandym complex and the supply of gas processing plant equipment.

• On April 19, 2018, a ceremony was held to mark the commissioning of the Kandym gas processing complex.
• The ceremony was attended by President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, heads of government, as well as Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak, President of LUKOIL Vagit Alekperov and other officials.

• The complex will process 8.1 billion cubic meters of gas per year, which will produce 7.9 billion cubic meters of refined gas, 134.4 thousand tons of gas condensate and 212.9 thousand tons of sulfur.

• The launch of the Kandym gas processing complex in Bukhara has been linked to political events in Uzbek-Russian relations. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the opening ceremony, and congratulations from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev were read out.

• After the Kandym complex, the cooperation could turn to the construction of a nuclear power plant. According to Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan may sign an agreement with Russia this year. The President made this statement on the occasion of the launch in Bukhara of the Kandym gas processing complex, the only one of its kind in Central Asia.

• Presented as a shining example of Uzbek-Russian cooperation, the Kandym gas processing complex has the capacity to process 8 billion cubic meters of gas a year. The complex, which began construction two years ago by Russia's Lukoil, was launched at full capacity on April 19.

• Shavkat Mirziyoyev described the new plant as a major event, noting that it was built in accordance with modern advanced technological requirements and was commissioned eight months ahead of schedule.

• The signing of an agreement with Russia on the construction of a nuclear power plant could be the second major project being built by Russia since Shavkat Mirziyoyev took office. The project to build such a station in Uzbekistan is not new, the issue was raised several years ago, and the main partners were China, Canada and France. Mirziyoyev's statement means that Russia has been chosen to implement the project without any discussion.

• Commentators note a shift in relations with Moscow, which was held at a distance during Karimov's presidency; bilateral trade and economic cooperation, especially in the political and humanitarian spheres.
• The Russian humanitarian mission has become more active in Uzbekistan, and the number of Russian-language educational institutions has increased. The mission recently announced the opening of Russian language classes at Mirziyoyev's high school in Jizzakh, which were fully funded by the humanitarian mission.

• Shortly before the president's meeting with the Russian delegation in Bukhara, another delegation from the Russian Ministry of Information and leading television held talks with their counterparts in Tashkent and agreed to launch a new channel in cooperation with Russia.

• "People's social consciousness is being shaped by Russia's position," he said. Television specializes in outward reporting, but from the inside it affects the social consciousness, which is especially strong in the propaganda of Russian television, which aims to create pro-Russian forces in Uzbekistan. In this sense, the expansion of the Russian media and television in Uzbekistan can be compared to aggression. The consequences can be not only sad, but terrible. Whenever there is a discussion, people talk about Russian television, Putin, and news from Russian channels. The formation of Uzbek social consciousness under such influences can have very dangerous consequences, ”said Abbas Assad, a blogger who notes that Russia's influence is growing.

• This industrial enterprise, built on the basis of the Kandym group of gas condensate fields, is a great example of Uzbek-Russian cooperation. Its production capacity is 8.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. At full capacity, the complex will produce 212,000 tons of pure sulfur, 134,000 tons of stabilized gas condensate, and refined natural gas will be exported.

• The Kandym gas processing complex includes a gas extraction and collection system, two gas processing technological lines, terminals for loading and transportation of products, natural gas export through the main gas pipeline, as well as engineering and energy supply facilities. Gas comes from 114 wells connected to two natural gas collection points.

• As part of the project, a modern town for 1,150 people was built in the remote desert area of Karakul district. There are all conditions for workers to live and rest. In addition, 500 kilometers of technological and pipeline networks, more than 280 kilometers of roads, 50 kilometers of railways, 272 kilometers of power transmission lines were built.

• The opening ceremony of the complex was held in the administrative building of the company. It was attended by the Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak, President of Lukoil Vagit Alekperov, representatives of the diplomatic corps, state and public organizations, plant engineers, youth, national and foreign media.

• The head of our state noted that the work carried out in accordance with the Action Strategy contributes to the consistent development of leading industries. He noted that foreign direct investment in the fuel and energy sector is attracting, and the Kandym gas processing complex is a vivid example of the rapid development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Russia in all areas.

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