OREANDA-NEWS. July 27, 2010. Russian energy companies Lukoil and Gazprom are among the largest potential investors in Uzbek natural resource exploration.

Foreign companies are planning to invest more than USD 1.9 billion in Uzbekistan during the next five years, UPI reported citing the geology and exploration expert at Uzbekistan's Uzbekneftegaz Co. Gaibulla Abdullayev.

Lukoil and Gazprom are among the top investors, following by Chinese and South Korean companies. Foreign companies increased their hydrocarbon production in Uzbekistan by 39% in 2010 compared with the previous year.

The US Energy Information Agency ranked Uzbekistan at 51st in terms of overall oil production in 2008 and 11th for natural gas in the same year.