A top Russian government official said oil and gas projects being implemented in Russia's Arctic and Far East with the participation of western firms under production-sharing agreements (PSAs) will yield billions of U.S. dollars for the country. Devised in the 1990s, when oil prices were much lower, PSAs offered investors major tax benefits, which provided a kind of risk bonus for investing in Russia.

Andrei Dementyev, deputy industry and energy minister, said the Sakhalin I hydrocarbon project, off Russia's Pacific coast, will bring in an estimated $52.2 billion for the budget by 2054, when the project is scheduled to end. The project is operated by U.S. oil major Exxon Neftegas Limited. Apart from the American giant, the Sakhalin I international consortium comprises Russia's state-controlled Rosneft (20%), India's ONGC (20%), and Japan's Sodeco (30%). "Calculations are based on the pessimistic scenario of a $35-per-barrel oil price," Dementyev said.

The deputy minister said the project's implementation yielded $101 million by the end of 2005, including $28 million for the federal budget and $73 million for the budget of the Sakhalin Region. Dementyev said the Sakhalin I project was expected to produce about 1.89 billion bbl of oil and 12.6 Tcf of gas over its lifespan. Dementyev said the Sakhalin II oil and gas project in Russia's Far East was expected to yield $50.1 billion over its lifespan (until 2045), considering a pessimistic oil price scenario of $34 per barrel. The Sakhalin II project comprises an oil field with associated gas, a natural gas field with associated condensate production, a pipeline, a liquefied natural gas plant and an LNG export terminal.

The two fields hold reserves totaling 1.1 billion barrels of oil and 17.6 Tcf of natural gas. Royal Dutch Shell holds a controlling 55% stake in Sakhalin Energy, the operator of the Sakhalin II project, while Japan's Mitsui and Mitsubishi own 25% and 20%, respectively. Dementyev said the Sakhalin II project yielded $350.3 million for Russia by the end of 2005, including $141.6 million for the federal budget and $208.7 million for the regional budget. Dementyev also said revenues from the project to develop the Kharyaga deposit in northern Russia will total an estimated $2.58 billion by the end of its implementation (2031), considering a pessimistic oil price scenario of $32 per barrel.

The Kharyaga deposit is being developed by French oil major Total. Contracts signed under production-sharing terms totaled $16.7 billion over the term of their implementation, including $9.4 billion worth of contracts concluded with Russian companies, Dementyev said. Dementyev said the value of contracts signed with Russian companies totaled $3.6 billion under the Sakhalin I project, $5.3 billion under the Sakhalin II project, and $462.5 million for the Kharyaga deposit. "Assistance in involving Russian enterprises in the implementation of existing production-sharing agreements must be a priority task," Dementyev said.

Source: Ria Novosti

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