Investment in oil and gas complex must be increased by 50% by 2020

The realization of Russia's energy strategy until 2020 will already allow the country by 2010 to increase extraction of oil to 447 million tonnes, processing of oil to 200 million tonnes, and the extraction of gas to 680-730 billion cubic meters, said Deputy Energy Minister Valentin Shelepov at a session of the congress of oil manufacturers in Ufa on May 22.

Shelepov said that the primary oil extraction region of Russia remains Western Siberia even though its share of the country's total will drop from 68% (2002) to 58-55% by 2020. Approximately 15% of the country's total oil extraction will come from Eastern Russia by 2020. Presumably, standing drilling will be reanimated and increase oil output and other work will be completed for increasing the effectiveness of work at the complex.

Nadim-Pur-Tazovsky region of Western Siberia remains the leading gas-extraction region of the country even though its share of total extraction will drop from 87% to 64-60%. Plans provide for the developing of resources on the Yamal peninsula, Shtokmanovsky field on the shelf of the Barents sea and Koviktinsky in Irkutsk Region.

The depth of oil processing must increase to 75-80% by 2010. Modernization and reconstruction of functioning oil processing factories will receive priority as will the building of power for deepening oil processing, and increasing the quality of oil products and production of catalysts.

In order for production of oil products to approach buyers the strategy provides for the building of new highly effective oil refineries of medium and low power. Presumably, the modernization of the system of pipeline transportation and building of a new oil pipeline artery in the Northern and Southern European Russia, in Eastern Siberia and the Far East will be needed for the delivery of raw materials to the oil refineries and exports. In order to develop a gas supply system 27 thousand kilometers of new gas pipeline will be built.

Shelepov said that in order to fulfill these plans, investment in the oil and gas complex will need to be increased by 50% (from USD 6.2 billion in 2002 to USD 9.5 in 2020), and government regulation of the oil and gas complex in Russia will also need to be strengthened. ' The depths of Russia are the national property of the country and the government does not have the right to indifferently observe how the wealth is being used,' said Shelepov.

According to the Energy Ministry, the Russian oil and gas complex accounts for 19% of income to the federal budget and 46% of exports. 12% of the world's oil reserve and more than 35% of the gas reserve is located in the depths of Russia. In 2002, the total amount of extracted natural gas in Russia was almost 595 billion cubic meters. 379.6 million tonnes of oil was also extracted in 2002.