  |
|
Foreign investors still welcome in Shtokman: Putin
AFP
MOSCOW
Petroleumworld.com 12 08 06Foreign investors are still welcome to take part in operations at Russia's huge Shtokman gas field if they come forward with "interesting proposals," Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.
Earlier this month, Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom announced it would develop the Shtokman field, located off Russia's northwest shores, on its own after earlier saying it was looking for foreign partners for the project.
But on Thursday Putin said in an interview posted on the Kremlin website: "As for the Shtokman field, Gazprom has tried in the course of negotiations with potential partners to secure access to final natural gas consumers in the United States and Europe in exchange for participating in the exploitation of this huge field.
"This, without success. But this subject is not definitively closed. It can be re-examined if interesting proposals from foreign partners are received," he added.
Putin also said he had not ruled out delivering Shtokman gas to the United States.
"Since the barely satisfactory outcome of negotiations with our foreign partners, Gazprom has decided firstly to construct a supply (to Europe) across the north European gas pipeline and to produce liquified natural gas destined in particular for the United States," the president explained.
"In a second phase we would exploit the gas field," he added.
Shtokman has proven reserves of 3.5 trillion cubic metres of gas.
Total as well as Norsk Hydro and Statoil from Norway and ChevronTexaco and ConocoPhillips of the United States had been the five contenders shortlisted in 2005 for the Shtokman project.
The Russian gas giant explained that the "priority" was the "deliver by pipeline to the European markets," having first indicated that it planned on liquifying a portion to be sent by boat to the United States.
Gazprom hopes to establish backing, particularly in Europe, for distribution to consumers but has run up against reticence from European businesses and governments.
AFP 07 2056 GMT 12 06
Copyright© 2006 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
Your
feedback is important to us!
We invite all our readers to share with us
their views and comments about this article.
Write to editor@petroleumworld.com
Any
question or suggestions, please write to:
editor@petroleumworld.com
Best
Viewed with IE
5.01+
Windows
NT 4.0, '95, '98 and ME +/ 800x600 pixels