A gas leak occurred at Muynak gas field in Muynak district of Karakalpakstan, the Ministry of Energy said.
Reportedl, the incident occurred on July 26 during the drilling of the first exploratory well, at 5,000 m depth. Gas began to leak at a depth of 4,707 m.
“Due to the excess of the expected gas pressure in the well, measures are being take to handle it and reduce the pressure in compliance with all safety rules, the Ministry added.
Officers of the Central Paramilitary Control Regiment for the Prevention and Elimination of Oil and Gas Flares (subsidiary of Uzbekneftegaz), the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Uzbekgeofizika JSC and the local khokimiyat are at the scene of the incident under the leadership of the chairman of the Uzbekneftegaz company.
"The most important thing is that the well is located far from populated areas, and the leaking gas is pure methane without hydrogen sulfide. It should be noted that natural gas produced at all fields in the Ustyurt region does not contain sulfur," the Ministry of Energy said.
To prevent harm to the health of specialists working on site, as well as to the environment and wildlife, the gas is flared.
According to the Ministry of Energy, no one was hurt. "We ask the public to remain calm and not to panic. Additional information will be provided later," the statement said. The field belongs to Uzbekneftegaz, the company confirmed.
