“The Energy Sector News” information portal published a speech by Victor Vekselberg, the Managing Director for Production and Technology, TNK-BP at a press conference held 24 September in Ekaterinburg.
The pipeline transportation development is a very urgent matter for the industry, he said, dwelling upon building new crude oil pipelines. At the same time, Russian government delayed deciding on the new pipeline direction and building the pipeline itself, he added.
“Russia is an exporting country. Huge volumes of crude oil are currently delivered for export by railway, which is rather inefficient,” he said. I expect the government would take decision – before year-end or early next year, at maximum – as far as I know, and Transenft would begin implementing the projects connected with the expansion of the throughput capacity,” V. Vekselberg stressed.
Speaking about the possibility for private companies to gain access to building new pipeline facilities, he reported that “such issues are currently being discussed, and various options and schemes are being considered”. “There is no problem that the pipeline system is fully owned by government. Transneft is seen to be a fairly efficient company. None of oil producers have been confronted with any technological trouble. Today this problem is not utterly urgent, and, even if decided, wouldn’t have real impact on the situation in the industry,” V. Vekselberg added.