OJSC Stroytransgaz continues to build a second gas processing plant in Syria, despite the recent escalation of the political situation there, the Russian company's chief, Sergei Makarov, told reporters.

"Syria hasn't reviewed the contract terms. They've even added some money, around $85 million, Makarov said.

The situation in Syria is stabilizing gradually, he said. The company had transferred staff from its office in Homs to Damascus and to the gas refinery's site, but employees are now gradually returning to Homs and work on the project is already beginning, Makarov said.

The Syrian Council of Ministers in November last year approved an addendum to the agreement on the North and South Middle Area Gas Exploitation Project to build the gas processing plant, increasing the cost of the project and giving more time for it to be completed.

The plant will have annual production capacity of 1.3 billion cubic meters of purified gas, 41,600 tonnes of liquefied hydrocarbon gas and 136,200 cubic meters of condensate. The gas processing complex will be located 75 kilometers to the southeast of Al-Rakka and 205 kilometers to the east of Homs, in the area where Syria's larger hydrocarbon fields are concentrated. Work on the project includes development of several gas fields: West Twinan, Twinan, Al Gour, East Al Akram, and Al Harith.

The plant was originally due to go into service in January 2010, but the deadline has been extended several times, first to the middle of 2010 and then to the middle of 2011.

Stroytransgaz commissioned the first gas processing plant in Syria, capacity 3 bcm, per year, in November 2009. The company's other projects in Syria include the second phase of the Arab Gas Pipeline and equipping five gas fields in northern and central Syria.

Pr

(Our editorial staff can be reached at eng.editors@interfax.ru)

Copyright 2012 Interfax News Agency. All Rights Reserved.

(Originally published April 17, 2012, in Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire.)