SGDP Monthly Drilling Operations Progress Report

The project is funded via USAID Implementation Letter (IL) 45-01 dated May 29, 2012, with a projected end date of April 30, 2015. Under Phase I of SGDP, the MoMP on December 14, 2013, awarded a US$ contract to Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) to drill one new well, Juma 2A, and re-enter two wells, Bashikurd 3 and 9 in the Juma-Bashikurd Field in Jawjzan Province. As of the end of the reporting period, TPAO has consumed 39.6 percent of the 270-day contract performance period. However, TPAO has not yet completed the road, wellsite, and camp civil works required, nor obtained authorization from Turkish authorities to move its drilling rig from Turkey to Afghanistan. Requests by MoMP that TPAO take steps to bring the work into compliance with contract requirements have been rebuffed, and TPAO continues to insist that it cannot complete the work in less than the fourteen-month schedule that it presented after the contract was signed. TPAO's civil work contractor finally began physical site work on March 06, 2014, in accordance with their contract scope of work. TPAO has approximately seventy workers onsite participating in current road improvement work, camp development, and general mobilization logistics. Security for TPAO has hired approximately fifty security guards from General Rashid Dostum, and for transportation, they have acquired fifteen motorcycles and two Hilux trucks. Three security checkpoints are being built along the access road from the Sheberghan to Sar-e-Pul highway. There have been no security incidents since the checkpoints were completed. Road construction has been focused upon improving the road between the old military camp and Bashikurd well #9. TPAO has ordered twenty-four containers to form the camp site office and living quarters, and their fabrication is underway with delivery probably in early May. TPAO is presently manufacturing eight tanks for holding water and diesel fuel. An operations water storage pit was constructed near the water source of Bashikurd Well #1. TPAO has begun mobilizing equipment and personnel for drilling operations. The SGDP Monthly Drilling Operations Progress Report is required under SGGA Modification 3, Deliverable 24, "monthly report on progress and Quality Assurance/Quality Control of drilling operations, data collection, contract completion of the gas wells." The report is submitted by Advanced Engineering Associates International, Inc. (AEAI)/SGGA Project Team, and is made possible by support from the American People jointly sponsored by USAID and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.