MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. The Russian government will consider the Energy Ministry’s proposals in late December or early January on admitting independent gas producers to the China-bound Siberian gas pipeline, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said.
“The government’s meeting on the issue was held two weeks ago. We expect the government to return to considering our proposals on admitting independent gas producers in a month,” Novak said.
“Most likely, this will happen in late December or early January. A possibility is also being discussed for independent producers to invest in the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline’s additional capacities,” he said.
The Power of Siberia gas pipeline estimated at over $21 billion is intended to pump 61 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually to the Russian Far East and China and will stretch over a distance of 3,968 km (2,465 miles).
The pipeline is designed to pump natural gas from the giant Chayanda oil and gas condensate deposit in Yakutia in north-east Russia and the Kovykta gas condensate field in the Irkutsk Region in Eastern Siberia. The Power of Siberia will run along the operational East Siberia — Pacific oil pipeline, crossing marshlands, mountainous and seismically active areas.
The first stage envisages the construction of the Yakutia-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok trunk gas pipeline. During the second stage, the Irkutsk gas production center based on the Kovykta deposit will be connected with the Yakutia center based on the Chayanda field.
The gas pipeline’s first stage is scheduled to be commissioned in 2017.