Take Your Pick: The Latest Scoop on Karachaganak Gas Processing Facility and More!
Recent Updates Across the Caucasus and Central Asia: Insights into Current Events
Just a few short days after Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid a visit to Astana, Kazakh officials have taken a hard line, slapping a stop work order on Eni and Shell regarding the $3.5 billion Karachaganak gas processing facility. The culprit? Good old-fashioned disagreements over costs and construction delays. But don't worry, our consortium buddies KazMunaiGas, Chevron, and Russia's Lukoil are still in the mix, hoping for a resolution. Kazakh officials have made it clear they want this puppy up and running ASAP, but it's unclear if our cool-headed partners at Eni and Shell will play ball.
As for the darling of the Caucasus, Armenia, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Nuclear Policy and Cooperation Aleshia Duncan recently landed for an extended chat on nuclear energy and critical minerals. The verdict? Not a peep from the official announcement wire. The Armenian government, however, has expressed a keen interest in building a brand new nuclear power plant, presumably to replace the aging Metsamor facility that's due for decommissioning in 2036. Rumor has it that US firm Westinghouse could be in the running for a piece of the construction contract for the shiny new reactor, but us common folks will have to wait and see!
Meanwhile, over in Azerbaijan, the big dogs were out and about during Baku's Energy Week. BP announced that the next phase of development for the Shah Deniz gas field has been given the green light. The project promises to extend the field's life and pump up production. Decarbonization projects, namely the Shafag solar farm and the electrification of the Sangachal terminal, have also received the thumbs up. Exxon Mobil and Azerbaijan's SOCAR teamed up to explore onshore oil and gas production in Azerbaijan, while the Turkish state oil company TPAO joined a production-sharing agreement with SOCAR and BP for the Shafaq-Asiman offshore block in the Caspian Sea. Hungary's MOL Group and SOCAR also inked a deal for the Shamakhi-Gobustan onshore field.
Baku's been active on the diplomatic front as well, hosting quiet chats with Turkey and Israel to defuse tensions in Syria. Syrian officials are rumored to be hankering for Azerbaijan's help in resuscitating its energy sector, while Azerbaijan has its hands full placating Israeli and Turkish diplomats over perceived security threats.
Let's step away from the cascading waters of the Caspian and gaze upon the Foreign Ministry in Georgia, which has chosen to part ways with NATO and European Union information centers. The centers opened its doors in 2005 under the Foreign Ministry's watchful eye, doling out info about Georgia's stalled attempts to join both organizations. Ministry officials maintain that the center's functions will continue, just under another wrapper after a reorganization is complete.
Our globe-trotting journey takes us next to Japan, which has agreed to welcome 10,000 labor migrants from Uzbekistan over the next 5 years. Exciting stuff! When migrants pass through a rigorous selection process, they'll be shipped off to cooking schools in Uzbekistan to learn about Japanese cuisine and language before embarking on their adventures in Japan. In unrelated news, Uzbekistan's Central Bank has shipped a monster ton of gold reserves, more than any other central bank in the world this year so far, making them richer than Scrooge McDuck swimming in his vaults of gold doubloons. Strangely, Uzbek officials claim the additional revenue is needed to keep their economic development dreams going strong.
Welcome to the turbulent world of Kyrgyzstan, where the number of domestic violence cases has spiked a staggering 36 percent in the first quarter of 2025. MPs have promised to beef up the punishment for offenders, extending jail time from seven days to two full weeks of sit-up time. Not to be outdone, Turkmenistan has found its way onto the US's list of countries whose citizens face increased visa scrutiny, since the US claims Turkmen officials don't take proper measures to prevent overstaying.
Lastly, it seems Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov is taking this whole power gig quite seriously, doling out an 11.5-year sentence - in absentia, of course - to former president Almazbek Atambayev for involvement in illicit land deals. Atambayev, who has been living happily ever after in Spain since 2023, took to social media to dismiss the verdict as arbitrarily contrived. In a Facebook post, he asserted that he never sold out Kyrgyzstan's interests, and, despite his shortcomings, he'll return to face justice if Japarov's administration specifically agrees to make Kyrgyzstan a member of the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute. Sounds like he's not ready to kiss his power goodbye just yet!
- The stop work order on Eni and Shell's $3.5 billion Karachaganak gas processing facility in Kazakhstan has been issued due to disagreements over costs and construction delays, leaving the project's future uncertain.
- Azerbaijan's diplomatic efforts have been evident in Baku, where quiet chats with Turkey and Israel aim to defuse tensions in Syria, while the nation also hosts significant energy events and partnerships with major oil companies such as BP, Exxon Mobil, and SOCAR.
- Japan's economic news includes plans to welcome 10,000 labor migrants from Uzbekistan over the next five years, with a focus on training them in Japanese cuisine and language before their departure. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's Central Bank has made a notable gold reserve shipment, adding significantly to its wealth.
- Unfortunately, Kyrgyzstan's domestic violence cases have surged by 36 percent in the first quarter of 2025, leading to harsher punishment for offenders, and Turkmenistan is now under increased visa scrutiny by the US, as the country's officials are perceived to be lax in preventing overstaying.
