Gov't to discuss development of oil and gas fields in Eastern Siberia and Far East

On March 13, the Russian government is planning to discuss the program for the development of oil and gas deposits in Eastern Siberia and Far East, Deputy Energy Minister Vladimir Stanev reported today at the round-table meeting "The Outlooks for the Development of Pipeline Transportation in Russia". He pointed out that the main goal for the development of deposits in Eastern Siberia and Far East was to create transport infrastructure. "We cannot start oil production in Eastern Siberia before we have constructed a transportation route," Stanev said.

According to the Deputy Minister, the Energy Ministry will introduce to the government on March 13 two routes for constructing a pipeline to the east, the northern and the southern routes. The Ministry is planning to build a pipeline with a yearly capacity of 90 million tons to Nakhodka with a 50-million-ton branch to Dazin (China). As Stanev pointed out, the Ministry considers it reasonable to link the western and the eastern transportation systems to the Sakhalin system, in the future.

The senior official also reported that at a government meeting this April, it was planned to discuss exploration of oil and gas fields of the northwestern and arctic regions.