In the first reading, the State Duma authorized the export of LNG from Rosneft’s Arctic fields

MOSCOW, May 16 – RIA Novosti. The State Duma, at its first reading, passed a government bill allowing the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to underground users of the Arctic part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs.

The document gives the exclusive right to export LNG to users of subsoil lands located wholly or partially north of 67 degrees north latitude. We are talking about Arctic gas fields in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Regions. At the same time, the share of the state in the authorized capital of such underground users should be more than 50%. Anastasia Bondarenko, Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Energy, explained at the meeting of the State Duma Energy Committee in April, that this concerns “about 36 sites” that currently belong to Rosneft.

As Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a cabinet meeting in March, the list of fields where LNG exports are permitted will include promising underground lands far from the Combined Gas Supply System, which are not economically viable to be connected to pipelines. First of all, we are talking about the northern regions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and YNAO, where there are large reserves of natural gas – about 3 trillion cubic meters in general.

Mishustin emphasized that the decision taken will make it possible to increase the annual LNG production to 100 million tons in the next 7 years, as well as to significantly increase its exports and strengthen Russia’s position in the world market in general. The bill will help more active use of the capacities of the Arctic routes and the transport of LNG to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

The document also excludes the scope of the Law “On Gas Exports” for refueling ships with liquefied natural gas. According to the explanatory note, this will encourage the use of LNG as bunker fuel, which is a more environmentally friendly and alternative fuel for sea and river vessels.

Currently, the right to export LNG in Russia belongs to Gazprom (which has a monopoly on the export of pipe gas), as well as companies with more than 50% state participation, implementing projects for the liquefaction of natural gas from offshore fields or fields. in PSA. In addition, Novatek exports LNG based on the underground usage right, which provides liquefied natural gas production and whose license was obtained before January 1, 2013.

In total, by order of the 2014 government, Gazprom has the right to export Gazprom export, Gazprom gas products holding, Rosneft and Novatek’s subsidiaries – Yamal LNG, Arctic LNG, LNG 1″, “Arctic LNG 2” and “. Arctic LNG 3”.