Transneft has begun operation of the "Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline, designed to supply oil to the Asia-Pacific region, Itar-Tass news agency reports. The first tanker "Moscow University" loaded with 100.000 tons of OAO Rosneft oil, bought by a Finnish IPP Oy.
A symbolic commissioning of ESPO pipeline system carried out by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, as he gave a start to pumping oil to the first tanker. After the ceremony Mr. Putin made the entry in honorary visitors’ book: "Congratulations on starting the work. Happy New Year. Good luck", Interfax reports.
Construction of the first stage of the pipeline with a total capacity to 30 million tons was launched in April 2006. The construction completion of ESPO-1 was initially expected back in 2008, but date was then delayed. Since October 2008 Talakan-Taishet pipeline has been working in reverse mode.
The pipeline passes through Taishet (Irkutsk region) - Ust-Kut (Irkutsk region) - Lensky (Yakutia) - Aldan (Yakutia) - Skovorodino (Amur region), the final point at the specialized oil sea port "Kozmino” of Primorsky Territory. The length of the segment from Taishet to Skovorodino is said at 2,694 km. The oil cargo is transported from Skovorodino by trains to the port Kozmino. Transshipment volume reached 15 million tons per year. To transport the oil "Transneft" and "Uralvagonzavod created a joint venture - OAO Vostokneftetrans.
Another 15 million tons will be shipped to China by a branch of ESPO pipeline being built in the area of Skovorodino and is expected in 2011. Russia and China agreed in February 2009 to build a line for China from ESPO and supply of 15 million tons of Russia's oil annually for 20 years. Rosneft and Transneft have received from the Development Bank of China loans amounting to $ 15 billion and $ 10 billion, respectively.
The railway transportation of the ESPO oil will continue until the completion of the second stage of the oil pipeline system in 2012, when the line section from Skovorodino to Kozmino 2100 km long is said to be built. The throughput of the second stage of the pipeline will be at 45-50 million tons per year, with further increase to 80 million tons. The construction of the second stage is scheduled to begin in 2010. The preliminary estimated cost of all objects of ESPO-2 has been reported at about 350 billion rubles. Twenty million tons are planned to be delivered to Rosneft own refineries, about 10-15 million tons to Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk Refinery.
A symbolic commissioning of ESPO pipeline system carried out by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, as he gave a start to pumping oil to the first tanker. After the ceremony Mr. Putin made the entry in honorary visitors’ book: "Congratulations on starting the work. Happy New Year. Good luck", Interfax reports.
Construction of the first stage of the pipeline with a total capacity to 30 million tons was launched in April 2006. The construction completion of ESPO-1 was initially expected back in 2008, but date was then delayed. Since October 2008 Talakan-Taishet pipeline has been working in reverse mode.
The pipeline passes through Taishet (Irkutsk region) - Ust-Kut (Irkutsk region) - Lensky (Yakutia) - Aldan (Yakutia) - Skovorodino (Amur region), the final point at the specialized oil sea port "Kozmino” of Primorsky Territory. The length of the segment from Taishet to Skovorodino is said at 2,694 km. The oil cargo is transported from Skovorodino by trains to the port Kozmino. Transshipment volume reached 15 million tons per year. To transport the oil "Transneft" and "Uralvagonzavod created a joint venture - OAO Vostokneftetrans.
Another 15 million tons will be shipped to China by a branch of ESPO pipeline being built in the area of Skovorodino and is expected in 2011. Russia and China agreed in February 2009 to build a line for China from ESPO and supply of 15 million tons of Russia's oil annually for 20 years. Rosneft and Transneft have received from the Development Bank of China loans amounting to $ 15 billion and $ 10 billion, respectively.
The railway transportation of the ESPO oil will continue until the completion of the second stage of the oil pipeline system in 2012, when the line section from Skovorodino to Kozmino 2100 km long is said to be built. The throughput of the second stage of the pipeline will be at 45-50 million tons per year, with further increase to 80 million tons. The construction of the second stage is scheduled to begin in 2010. The preliminary estimated cost of all objects of ESPO-2 has been reported at about 350 billion rubles. Twenty million tons are planned to be delivered to Rosneft own refineries, about 10-15 million tons to Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk Refinery.