Sheberghan Gas Generation Activity (SGGA) Monthly Report May 1 – May 31, 2014

The project is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The SGGA Monthly Report for May 1-31, 2014, highlights the progress made in various aspects of the project. Technical assistance was provided to the Afghanistan Petroleum Authority (APA) in managing the drilling contract with Turkish National Petroleum Corporation (TPAO). APA was assisted in preparing a follow-on letter to TPAO, notifying them of their non-compliance with the contract requirements. A rebuttal to TPAO's progress report was also drafted for APA's use in future dialog with TPAO. Contract monitoring was conducted, and two engineers from Afghan Gas Enterprise (AGE) were appointed by the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) to monitor TPAO's field operations. The project also focused on capacity development, with meetings held with various stakeholders, including USAID, State Department, Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO), and D. Lindley (Exim). Discussions centered on proposals to construct and operate gas processing and power plant facilities in the Sheberghan area. Meetings were also held with P. Cameron and O. Grynyk (Unicon) regarding coordination of efforts to locate and analyze gas field data for reserve studies. The project schedule as of May 31, 2014, indicates that the drilling contract management support activities were ongoing, with a focus on contract monitoring, insurance compliance, and legal review. The project also made progress in capacity development, with meetings held with various stakeholders to discuss proposals and plans for the project. The SGGA Monthly Report highlights the challenges faced by the project, including TPAO's non-compliance with the contract requirements and the need for capacity development. The report also provides an overview of the project's progress and plans for the next month, including the appointment of two engineers from AGE to monitor TPAO's field operations and the continuation of capacity development activities. The project's geographic focus is on the Sheberghan area of Afghanistan, with a focus on developing the natural gas resources in the region. The project's timeframes are outlined in the project schedule, which indicates that the drilling contract management support activities were ongoing as of May 31, 2014. The project's recommendations for the next month include continuing contract monitoring and capacity development activities, as well as addressing the challenges faced by the project. The project's implementation details are outlined in the report, including the provision of technical assistance to APA and the appointment of two engineers from AGE to monitor TPAO's field operations. The project's methodology includes contract monitoring, insurance compliance, and legal review, as well as capacity development activities. The project's key findings include the need for capacity development and the challenges faced by the project, including TPAO's non-compliance with the contract requirements.