Start-up of gas processing plant in Syria faces postponement - Stroytransgaz
Interfax, 25.05.2011
The start-up of the GPZ-2 gas processing plant in Syria may be postponed, the head of Russian Stroytransgaz, Sergei Makarov, told journalists.
"We have entered talks with the Syrian government specifically concerning the dates and rising project costs," Makarov said.
GPZ-2 was scheduled to begin operating in mid-2011.
Commenting on other projects abroad, Makarov said Iraq is a priority area of operations. Stroytransgaz plans to participate in construction of the Kirkuk-Banias oil pipeline to Syria, although the tender on the project has yet to be announced.
Syria has postponed the start-up date of GPZ-2 several times. Construction was originally scheduled for completion in January 2010 and then the middle of 2010.
The postponement is due first of all to lack of a resource base in Syria. "Syria erred in its wellhead flow rate forecasts. There is no longer any great need to launch the GPZ as soon as possible," Makarov said.
Stroytransgaz started up GPZ-1 in Syria in November 2009. It has capacity to process 3 billion cubic meters of gas a year.
Stroytransgaz is participating in a host of major projects in Syria: construction of a second line of the Arab gas pipeline and workup of five gas fields in northern and central Syria.
