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Expert doubts West's sanctions will drive down oil output in Siberia

The restrictions will hardly halt the implementation of crude production projects in Russia’s Arctic Zone and Siberia either, Victor Zubarev said

KRASNOYARSK, December 8. /TASS/. Imposing the much-talked-about price cap on Russian oil will not affect the sector’s output in Siberia, Coordinator of Delovaya Rossiya in the Siberian Federal District Victor Zubarev told TASS on Thursday.

"With regard to the realities of the country’s Siberian regions, I am confident that Western restrictions will not lead to a notable decline in hydrocarbons production in the Siberian Federal District. The Krasnoyarsk Region will maintain its oil production volumes at 19-20 mln tons this year, whereas the outlook for 2023 is around 20 mln [tons]. The Irkutsk Region also maintains its results of 17-18 mln tons per year," he said.

The restrictions will hardly halt the implementation of crude production projects in Russia’s Arctic Zone and Siberia either, the expert added. "Of course, in this situation Asian and African countries that operate on market principles, are becoming even more essential for Russia. Real-life practice has shown an urgent demand for pipelines in the eastern direction. They actually guarantee sales and they may be practically independent of the dollar system of payments," Zubarev noted.

Earlier, G7 countries, the EU and Australia agreed to impose a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil supplied by sea starting on December 5. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would not accept the price ceiling for Russian oil. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on the sidelines of the Primakov Readings forum that the introduction of a price cap on Russian oil would only send energy prices soaring in Western countries.

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