A gas field accident at the «Mustaqillik-25» («25 Years of Independence») site in Uzbekistan's Surkhandarya region on September 17 has claimed four lives, according to Sherzod Asadov, the presidential press secretary.
The deceased were employees of a contractor company working at the site. Several others were injured, with one hospitalized. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has been informed of the situation and has issued relevant instructions. Heads of corresponding ministries and organizations have been dispatched to the site, and foreign specialists have been engaged in dealing with the aftermath.
Notably, at a briefing on September 18, Deputy Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Zhusipbek Kazbekov and a representative of the General Prosecutor's Office, Uktam Utaev, had initially reported only two fatalities from the hydrogen sulfide leak at «Mustaqillik-25».
This incident follows a previous hydrogen sulfide leak at the same site on September 1, which was caused by a technological process violation during work on well No. 604. Nearby residents were evacuated, and the well was reportedly sealed.
The «25 Years of Independence» gas production project is being implemented under a production sharing agreement signed on April 5, 2017, between Uzbekistan and an investor consortium including Altmax Holding (Cyprus), Uzbekneftegaz, and Gas Project Development Central Asia (Russia). Surhan Gas Chemical Operating Company acts as the operator.
Located 20 km from Baysun city, this is currently Uzbekistan's largest undeveloped gas field, with estimated reserves exceeding 150 billion cubic meters of raw gas.
