The plant, which will process about 3.5 billion cubic meters of gas/year, will be commissioned in 2014-2015, she added.

Exact time frames, project costs and shares relating to the scheme will be agreed in the feasibility study which is now being finalized, she continued.

The GTL facility, which will be based at the existing Shurtan petrochemical facility, is expected to produce between 1-1.5 million mt of synthetic diesel, liquefied gas, jet fuel and naphtha annually, she said.

Uzbekistan and Petronas signed the heads of agreement for the project in May 2008, in addition to agreeing a production sharing deal for a group of fields.

Uzbekneftegaz officials have previously said the project is expected to position Uzbekistan among other leading producers such as Qatar and Malaysia.

Separately, the company is jointly developing a gas chemical project in Ustyurt with a consortium of five South Korean companies - Honam Petrochemical, LG International, Kogas, SK Gas, and STX Energy.

The plant, which is expected to be completed by 2013, will process about 3 Bcm/year of gas and produce polyethylene and polypropylene, the spokeswoman said.