State-owned energy enterprise Uzbekneftegaz has reportedly refused to disclose the financial details and total contract value agreed with China's CCDC, a firm brought in to handle the ongoing disaster at the 25th Anniversary of Independence (M-25) gas field in the Boysun district of Surkhandarya region. During a recent press briefing, corporate representatives justified the lack of transparency by citing a mutual non-disclosure agreement (NDA), claiming that publishing any specific figures requires prior consent from the foreign contractor.

The hazardous situation at well No. 604, which began venting high concentrations of toxic hydrogen sulfide in September 2024, has proven exceptionally difficult to contain. Previous containment attempts failed and tragically resulted in worker fatalities. Technical challenges at the site are severe, featuring reservoir pressures reaching roughly 650 atmospheres and temperatures around 150 degrees Celsius. Chief Geologist Nodir Muhiddinov stated that proposals from various international entities—including firms from the US, Russia, and China—were evaluated before selecting the Chinese state-linked contractor as the most pragmatic option.

Although company officials insist that expenditures underwent rigorous state expertise and that pricing was strictly controlled, the cumulative financial outlays and the total volume of lost natural gas since late 2024 remain undisclosed. Current plans envision deploying over 40 units of specialized drilling machinery from China, aiming to fully suppress the blowout by the first half of 2027. Observers note that withholding the financial specifics of such a critical national infrastructure emergency continues to fuel public skepticism regarding accountability and oversight.

Source: www.gazeta.uz