There is no doubt that the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline (ESPO) will be filled, Russian President Vladimir Putin said according to Interfax.
"As regards the filling of the pipeline running to the Pacific Ocean, as far as I am concerned, there is no doubt now that this system will be filled," Putin said at a meeting with Natural Resources Minister Yury Trutnev on Wednesday.
"There is no doubt," Trutnev said in reply. "All companies have confirmed their commitments, but it is obvious that their work will be much more efficient if we provide them with comprehensive geological information," Trutnev said.
Phase one of ESPO involves construction of an oil pipeline with an annual throughput capacity of 30 million tonnes and a sea terminal in Kozmino bay. The line is being built from both ends in separate sections.
In the first phase, 15 million tonnes of oil from ESPO will be delivered through a branch to China to be completed by the end of the year and 15 million tonnes by rail to Primorye for further delivery through Kozmino. Terminal capacities for 1.25 million tonnes of oil will be built. The pipeline is expected to be commissioned in October-December 2008. It will take one to one-and-a-half months to fill it.
In the second stage, throughput capacity of the Taishet-Skovorodino pipeline will be boosted to 80 million tonnes and a pipeline for 50 million tonnes will be built from Skovorodino to Kozmino.
Oil companies have submitted bids to transport oil along ESPO for 29.8 million tonnes for 2009, for 33 million tonnes for 2010 and 38.3 million tonnes for 2011.