Russian Energy Ministry announces start of construction on main gas pipeline branch to Murmansk

MOSCOW. March 19 (Interfax) - Construction of the 1,300-kilometer Volkhov - Murmansk - Belokamenka gas pipeline branch has already begun, Artem Verkhov, director of the gas industry development department at the Russian Energy Ministry said at an oil and gas transit roundtable in the Federation Council.

"Work is already underway on the construction of the Volkhov-Murmansk branch gas pipeline for the Murmansk LNG plant and gasification of the northern regions of Karelia and the Murmansk region. It is a grandiose project; about 1,300 km of main gas pipeline," he said.

The authorities also "began, together with the regions, to develop an action plan for the gasification of Karelia and Murmansk," Verkhov said.

"A road map has been prepared and submitted to the Russian government and we hope that the government will approve it by the end of the month. The road map has been prepared, agreed upon, is in the government, and we are waiting for its approval," he said.

As reported, the pipeline's capacity is planned at 41.2 bcm per year.

Novatek is exploring the possibility of implementing a new large-scale LNG project in the Murmansk region consisting of three liquefaction trains with a capacity of 6.8 million tonnes. It is planned to use the surplus power of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant to power the compressors of the LNG plant. In order to supply gas to Murmansk, it will be necessary to build a 1,300-kilometer gas pipeline.