In accordance with the Decisions of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (UP-5646 of 1 February 2019 and PP-4142 dated 1 February 2019), the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan was defined as the authorised government body for implementation of production sharing agreements (PSAs), and it was empowered with credentials of the Ministry of Economy and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Uzbekneftegaz JSC for the following ongoing agreements:
- The PSA for further development of the Shakhpakhty field between the Uzbekneftegaz National Holding Company and the consortium of investors consisting of Zarubezhneftegaz CJSC and Gas Project Development Central Asia AG company of 14 April 2004;
- The PSA in relation to the Kandym group of fields, Khauzak and Shady sites, as well as Kungrad site between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the consortium of investors consisting of Lukoil Oil Company OJSC and Uzbekneftegaz National Holding Company of 16 June 2004;
- The PSA in respect of subsoil reserves in the territories of South-Western Gissar and Ustyurt region of the Republic of Uzbekistan between the Republic of Uzbekistan and Soyuzneftegaz Vostok Limited company of 23 January 2007;
- The PSA in relation to the investment block Uzbekiston Mustaqilligi with further exploration and development of the field Mustaqillikning 25 Yilligi with the construction of a gas chemical complex in Surkhandarya Region between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the consortium of investors consisting of Gas Project Development Central Asia AG, Altmax Holding Ltd and Uzneftegazdobycha JSC of 5 April 2017;
- The PSA in respect of Jel field between the Republic of Uzbekistan and Gazprom EP International B. V. of 18 October 2018.
Within the framework of the Production Sharing Agreements being implemented, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as an authorised body, provides:
- Representation and protection of the interests of the Republic of Uzbekistan as a party to the PSAs;
- Coordination of the activities of national government administration bodies and local executive authorities responsible for fulfilling obligations under the PSAs;
- Monitoring of investors' performance of obligations and work schedules in accordance with the procedure provided for in the PSAs;
- The determination of the composition of Management Committees from the Uzbek side for the PSAs from among the representatives of the Secretariat for Development of Energy-Fuel and Basic Industries of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Economy and Industry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan in accordance with the terms and conditions of the PSAs.
In this regard, in order to ensure effective implementation of existing PSAs, as well as creating the necessary conditions for the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan to oversee their implementation in accordance with Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan of 17 June 2019 (No. 503 About Measures on Further Implementation of Production Sharing Agreements), a Unit for the implementation of PSAs under the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established.
The Unit was established with the status of a legal entity by merging previously existing units for the implementation of Production Sharing Agreements under the Ministry of Economy and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Uzbekneftegaz JSC.
The main tasks of the Unit, as a working body of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, include:
- Organisation of expert assessment of field development programmes, annual work programmes and budgets for works under PSAs;
- Continuous monitoring of the implementation of PSAs, field development programmes, annual work programmes and budgets, including compliance with the established deadlines and volumes of their implementation;
- Organisation of inspection of investors' activities in accordance with the procedure provided for in PSAs;
- Monitoring the flow of funds on joint accounts opened by the investor under PSAs;
- Preparation and submission of proposals to the authorised body for approval of the results of tenders for the purchase of goods (works, services) within the framework of Agreements;
- Making proposals to the authorised body on the appropriateness of using the privileged right to purchase produced products under the terms stipulated in the PSAs;
- Performing other tasks in accordance with PSAs and the legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan.