Russian Federal Subsoil Management Agency (Rosnedr) director Anatoly Ledovskikh at a meeting in the Russian Natural Resources Ministry in Moscow on March 21, 2006.
Photo: Sergey Mikheev
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Statoil Summoned to Sakhalin
// To Develop the Lopukhovsky Block Together with Gazprom Neft
Two sources close to the Russian Mining Oversight Agency (Rosnedr) have told Kommersant that Rosnedr has decided to extend the license held by TNK-Sakhalin, a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft, for the geological exploration of the Lopukhovsky block off Sakhalin until 2010. TNK-Sakhalin's old geological license expired on June 1 of this year.
TNK-Sakhalin used to belong to TNK-BP, but after 3D seismological studies of the block carried out in 2003-2004 led the company to classify it as being of limited potential, TNK-BP sold its 75% share TNK-Sakhalin to Gazprom Neft in 2005. Over the last year, Gazprom Neft has run afoul of the Russian Natural Resources Oversight Agency (Rosprirodnadzor) and of Rosnedr regarding the completion of the surveying of the block, and in April of this year Rosnedr said that it was unlikely that the license would be renewed. It is unclear why the agency's position has apparently changed so completely since then.
In response to the ongoing difficulties with the exploration of the Lopukhovsky block, Gazprom Neft has decided to invite the Norwegian company Statoil to participate in the project. In April, Gazprom Neft and Statoil signed a memorandum of understanding on the realization of joint geological survey and extraction projects in Russia and abroad, and a working group was created in June. Statoil refused to comment on its cooperation with Gazprom Neft, but many analysts believe that it is likely to be similar in structure to the cooperation agreement between Gazprom and Total on the Shtokman project, according to which Gazprom owns the raw gas extracted from the field and Total is a co-investor in the development and operation of the infrastructure at the field.
Natalia Skorlygina and Denis Rebrov
All the Article in Russian as of July 17, 2007
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