Tensions have heightened between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan over Caspian Oil

Tensions have heightened between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan over resumption of oil exploration in a disputed oil-rich section of the Caspian Sea.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Turkmen embassy in Azerbaijan protested strongly against “illegal actions (taken June 16) by the Azeri Border Service toward a Turkmen civilian vessel that was conducting seismic research in a Caspian Sea section that had no relation to Azerbaijan.”

The statement referred to the Kyapaz oilfield, also known as Serdar, which is claimed by both nations. The offshore area is located on the border between the Azeri and Turkmen sections of the Caspian Sea.

In addition to Kyapaz, the two countries are also at loggerheads over two other regions - Azeri (Omar) and Chirag (Osman) oilfields, where Azerbaijan has been exploiting oil with the help of foreign companies for several years.

Later on Tuesday, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow stressed that there are huge reserves of oil and gas in the Caspian Sea and ordered energy companies active in his country to mobilize all their resources to develop the reserves in the Caspian Sea.

On Monday, Azerbaijan summoned Turkmen Ambassador to Baku in protest to Turkmenistan’s resumption of oil exploitation in the disputed region.

In 2008, the two nations signed an agreement to halt exploratory or extraction activities in Kyapaz to resolve all disputes by negotiations. But in July 2009, Ashgabat announced that after 16 rounds of talks, Baku had failed to show a positive stance towards settling the disputes, forcing Turkmenistan to postpone its oil exploration and extraction activities.

Press TV