YAKUTSK, July 19. /TASS/. Gazprom's investments in the Republic of Yakutia within four years made 158 billion rubles ($2.6 billion), the company's Deputy Chairman of the Board Valery Golubev said on Wednesday during a meeting of working groups on implementation of the cooperation agreement between Gazprom and Yakutia.
"The scale of Gazprom's investment plans regarding Yakutia is absolutely huge," he said. "The reserve of the Chayandinskoye oil, gas and condensate field is two trillion cubic meters of gas."
"Within the past four years, we invested 158 billion rubles, and by end of 2018 this figure will grow tenfold," he added.
More than 1.290 km of gas pipelines will be built in Yakutia. During the current navigation, the company will transport for development of the field about 345,000 tonnes of cargo (plates and big-diameter pipes), by mid-July the company has transported 49,000 tonnes, and another 200,000 tonnes will be delivered by vehicles (metal pipes and special equipment).
Gazprom representatives said the drilling at Yakutia's Chayandinskoye field continues ahead of the schedule. "In 2016, we finished drilling of 42 wells, two of which are oil wells," the company said. "In 2017, we plan finalizing 43 gas wells, 26 of which are ready now; as of today, we are ahead of the schedule in drilling."
The republic invited Gazprom to buy wells at the Chayandinskoye field, which now are owned by Yakutia. The republic owns 43 wells in the Chayandinskoye license area, three of the wells are rented by Gazprom's Dobycha Noyabrsk to the yearend.
The Chayandinskoye oil, gas and condensate forms the backbone of the Yakutia gas production center and serves as a resource base for the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, which will be used to transport gas from the Irkutsk and Yakutia centers to the Far East and China. The reserves at the Chayandinskoye field are estimated at two trillion cubic meters of gas.