SGDP Monthly Drilling Operations Progress Report

The project aims to develop the Juma-Bashikurd gas field in Jawzjan Province. Under Phase I of SGDP, Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) was awarded a contract worth $36,757,766 to drill one new well, Juma #2A, and re-enter two wells, Bashikurd #3 and Bashikurd #9. The contract requires TPAO to complete the drilling operations within a specified timeframe. However, the project has faced delays, and the Minister of MoMP issued a second contract extension notice on October 10, 2014, extending the completion date by 30 days to November 8. As of October 20, 2014, the work on the gas field roads, camp, and drilling locations was only 80% complete, with an estimated completion time of 13 days. The project is monitored by the Sheberghan Gas Generation Activity (SGGA), which is responsible for tracking the progress of the project. SGGA has established a team of personnel based in Sheberghan and Kabul to provide support to the project. The team includes security, administrative, and translation personnel, as well as capacity development programs, translators, security, procurement, and administrative support staff. The project has faced challenges, including delays in the completion of the drilling operations. On October 27, 2014, USAID sent a letter to MoMP's Deputy Minister for Administration and Finance, Jamel Hares, recommending that MoMP review the status of the TPAO contract and consider terminating it for default. TPAO submitted a mobilization report on October 29, 2014, indicating that 12 trucks had been loaded, with an estimated 243 trucks to be loaded in total, and the first truck was expected to arrive at the Juma 2A site on November 30, 2014. The project has a complex organizational structure, with multiple stakeholders involved, including MoMP, APA, TPAO, and USAID. The project manager, Mr. Sarwari, is the primary interface between SGGA and APA, and he has been working closely with the APA team to ensure the successful completion of the project. The project has significant implications for the energy sector in Afghanistan, and its successful completion will have a positive impact on the country's energy security. However, the project's progress has been slow, and it remains to be seen whether the project will be completed within the revised timeframe.