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Second stage of Siberia-Pacific pipeline faces delay: ministry
AFP
MOSCOW
Petroleumworld.com 04 11 07
Construction of the second stage of the Siberia-Pacific pipeline, which will carry Siberian oil to Asia, could be delayed by up to four years, an official with the Russian natural resources ministry said Tuesday.
"At the moment, because of a delay in the growth of (oil) reserves, the start of construction on the second part of the pipeline could be pushed back by three to four years in the best of circumstances," Sergei Fedorov, head of the ministry's oilfield explotation department, said in a report carried by the Ria Novosti news agency.
The line will carry Russian oil to the Asia-Pacific region, and Japan in particular. China has also been pressing Moscow to approve a branch that would supply the Chinese market.
The 2,000-kilometer (1,250-mile) first stage linking Irkutsk in southern Siberia with the Amur region near the Chinese border is expected to be operational next year and capable of carrying around 30 million tonnes of oil a year. Construction began 12 months ago.
The second stage will connect the Amur region and the Pacific coast.
With the completion of the second phase of the project, the pipeline will reach a length of 4,000 kilometers and will be able to carry up to 80 million tonnes of Siberian oil a year.
AFP 10 1701 GMT 04 07
Copyright© 2007 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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