Private company access to Arctic shelf not discussed given moratorium on licensing - Donskoi
MOSCOW. Jan 23 (Interfax) - The issue of giving private-sector companies access to Russia's Arctic shelf is not being raised for now given the continuing moratorium on issuing licenses to shelf resources, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi said.
"For now we are at the moratorium stage of issuing licenses to companies that plan to operate on the shelf. In that regard, in terms of including someone else and beginning to issue licenses, no new decisions have been examined and are not being taken for now," Donskoi said.
Lukoil chief Vagit Alekperov said previously that his company was awaiting a government decision on access to the Arctic shelf for private-sector companies. While acknowledging that not many companies are interested in shelf projects, "the very fact that a law exists that restricts our operations in our own country" needs to be changed, Alekperov said.
Donskoi, in turn, said that if Lukoil made a request to the government, it would be examined. "If Vagit Yusufovich [Alekperov] goes to the government once more, we will naturally examine his proposal, look at how it corresponds with those government decisions that have been made in recent times. Including that very Lukoil, which has active operations in the Baltic and I know has plans to expand operations. But in the framework of those sections that have already been issued, geological work has been conducted, where there are discoveries and discoveries are planned. In any case at present the company, let's say, has plenty of challenges, including on the shelf," Donskoi said.
