Putin orders faster construction of ESPO pipeline
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has ordered that the construction of the East Siberia - Pacific Ocean oil pipeline proceed without delays, Interfax reports.
Putin signed a government directive "to accelerate the construction of the ESPO phases and to prevent delays" in its commissioning during an inspection visit to the construction site of the specialized oil port Kozmino.
Kozmino is the final point of the ESPO pipeline, whose first stretch from Taishet to Skovorodino is to be commissioned in 2009.
Transneft (RTS: TRNF) President Nikolai Tokarev told Putin that a 500-kilometer long stretch between Taishet and the Talakan oil field is to be commissioned in October 2008. He said this stretch will work in the reverse mode at first.
Putin pointed at the map and said the pipeline must be laid at a safe distance from Lake Baikal.
Putin arrived at Kozmino after visiting the Ussuri nature preserve. On his way he viewed the large-scale construction site of a railway station, an overhead railway crossing and an infrastructure corridor to link the railway crossing and the oil depot.
Upon arrival at Kozmino Putin was shown the coast infrastructure and the oil pier under construction.
The Kozmino oil terminal has an area of 181.16 hectares. The oil pier is 340 meters long and 19.7 meters deep.
Putin inquired about prospects of building an oil refinery. Rosneft (RTS: ROSN) head Sergei Bogdanchikov pointed at Cape Yelizarova on the map and said that the oil refinery would have a territory of 900 hectares. The first phase, estimated at $4.9 billion, will be finished
by 2013. It is expected to handle up to 20 million tonnes of oil, annually. The construction of the second phase is estimated to cost $9 million, Bogdanchikov said.
Having inspected port Kozmino, Putin talked with the builders and asked them not to lose the pace gained. "The pace is good and fast. Please, do everything in earnest here," Putin said.
Putin signed a government directive "to accelerate the construction of the ESPO phases and to prevent delays" in its commissioning during an inspection visit to the construction site of the specialized oil port Kozmino.
Kozmino is the final point of the ESPO pipeline, whose first stretch from Taishet to Skovorodino is to be commissioned in 2009.
Transneft (RTS: TRNF) President Nikolai Tokarev told Putin that a 500-kilometer long stretch between Taishet and the Talakan oil field is to be commissioned in October 2008. He said this stretch will work in the reverse mode at first.
Putin pointed at the map and said the pipeline must be laid at a safe distance from Lake Baikal.
Putin arrived at Kozmino after visiting the Ussuri nature preserve. On his way he viewed the large-scale construction site of a railway station, an overhead railway crossing and an infrastructure corridor to link the railway crossing and the oil depot.
Upon arrival at Kozmino Putin was shown the coast infrastructure and the oil pier under construction.
The Kozmino oil terminal has an area of 181.16 hectares. The oil pier is 340 meters long and 19.7 meters deep.
Putin inquired about prospects of building an oil refinery. Rosneft (RTS: ROSN) head Sergei Bogdanchikov pointed at Cape Yelizarova on the map and said that the oil refinery would have a territory of 900 hectares. The first phase, estimated at $4.9 billion, will be finished
by 2013. It is expected to handle up to 20 million tonnes of oil, annually. The construction of the second phase is estimated to cost $9 million, Bogdanchikov said.
Having inspected port Kozmino, Putin talked with the builders and asked them not to lose the pace gained. "The pace is good and fast. Please, do everything in earnest here," Putin said.