Belorusneft will begin gas production in Venezuela in 2010

March 12, Gomel / Valery Sidorchik- BELTA /. RUP "Production Association "Belorusneft" will begin gas production in Venezuela in 2010, the enterprise's press service informed a BELTA correspondent. Gas production will be carried out based on intergovernmental agreements, which provide for further expansion of cooperation between the "Belorusneft" association and the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA. A number of existing fields have already been identified for joint study of geological, geophysical and field information and for the development of business plans for their further development. This year, these gas fields will be included in the assets of the joint venture "Petrolera BeloVenezolana". As is known, JV "Petrolera BeloVenezolana" was established in December 2007. During this time, it has produced about 1.5 million tons of oil and more than 450 million cubic meters of associated gas. The enterprise has five oil fields on its balance sheet, three of which were transferred to its assets in 2009. The current operational fund consists of 175 wells, including 4 flowing wells. The main tasks of the JV in the near future are to increase oil production volumes through new fields, as well as the implementation of a full-scale program of geological and technical, and organizational and technical measures with the widespread introduction of Belarusian technologies. In particular, oil production will be increased to 1 million tons per year. Production Association "Belorusneft" was established in 1966 and is part of the "Belneftekhim" concern. The enterprise carries out exploration, prospecting and development of oil fields, drilling of wells, and production of oil and associated petroleum gas. It has a network of gas filling stations, through which it accounts for about 73% of gasoline sales in the Belarusian market. -0-