CARACAS, October 6 (Itar-Tass) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has thanked the Russian government of its assistance in the implementation of Junin-6 oil project in the so-called Orinoco River oil belt.
In the course a televised linkup with Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, who was making a tour of the Orinoco basin together with a delegation comprising officials and oil industry executives, Chavez recalled the region conceals the world’s largest reserves of the vital energy resource.
When the linkup with the town of San Diego de Cabrutica was established, Chavez welcomed the Russian delegation and thanked President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin “in absentio” for their personal contribution to Junin-6, this country’s largest oil project.
“It’s very important that you’ve seen the Orinoco oil belt with your own eyes,” Chavez said. “Its riches belong to the people of Venezuela. They will enable it to make famine and poverty a thing of the past.”
Igor Sechin said on his part that the two sides have traversed a long road over the eighteen or so months, which have elapsed since the setting up of the Petromiranda joint venture.
“A really qualified personnel has been employed and all the necessary licenses for works have been obtained,” he said.
“As a result, physical works have begun to translate the project into life,” Sechin said.
“The initial phases of drilling are due to begin in December and I’m confident we’ll get first amounts of crude next year if we act upon a coordinated schedule,” he said.
“I’d like to thank all the participants in this projects whom we’ve established smoothly working contacts with,” Sechin said. “We thank them for their efforts that have led up to the start of development of this oilfield.”