Russia’s Energy Ministry is
preparing its stance on Rosneft’s application for receiving access to pipeline
gas export, a source familiar with the matter told TASS, adding that the
government’s and the ministry’s approach has not changed.
"There is an
application [from Rosneft - TASS]. There’ve been applications earlier. This is
a general approach of companies… But there is also a stand of the government
and the ministry, it has not changed. We’ve just received another letter
recently and we’ll prepare a stance at the management level," the source
said.
Last week Deputy Energy
Minister Kirill Molodtsov said the ministry had received a request from Rosneft
for receiving access to gas exports via a single export channel. The company’s
official representative and vice president Mikhail Leontyev told TASS Rosneft
hoped to be backed by the Energy Minister regarding the application. "We
want to be allowed to sell gas to our consumers, which are not identical to
Gazprom customers. They are ready to buy our gas, which contradicts nothing but
Gazprom’s position," he said.
According to Russia’s
Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, there are no plans to grant access to
pipeline gas exports to independent producers. "Each gas producing company
wants to export gas, but our decision has not changed - Gazprom (exports)
pipeline gas and decisions are made individually regarding LNG. There are still
no plans to unbundle the transport component, no such decision has been
made," he said.
Novatek and Rosneft have
applied to the government asking for an access to export pipeline gas to
Europe. This came after the companies succeeded in receiving access to export
LNG from their projects.
(ITAR-TASS)