Russian gov't withdraws from development of state program for shelf exploration
MOSCOW. Feb 4 (Interfax) - The Russian government has sent a bill to the State Duma on the removal from legislation of provisions on the need to draft a state program for the exploration of the continental shelf and the development of its mineral resources.
The government website said that relevant federal bill, which was prepared by the Natural Resources Ministry, was approved at a government session on January 29. The order on submitting the document to the State Duma was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on February 2.
The statement said that there is no need to develop a separate state program on the exploration of the continental self and the development of its mineral resources, because the study and development of the continental shelf at present is being conducted in accordance with a number of other program documents. These are: "The Rehabilitation and Use of Natural Resources" for 2013-2020 (pertaining to the geological study of subsurface resources and evaluation of resource potential), "Development of Shipbuilding in 2013-2030" (pertaining to the construction of specialized vessels), "Development of Science and Technology" for 2013-2020 (concerning the creation of modern technologies for developing oil and gas fields), "Energy Efficiency and Energy Development" (pertaining to the improvement of natural monopolies' activities) and "Socioeconomic Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation in the period until 2020" (concerning the provision of ecological safety for the Arctic zone).
According to the law "On Subsurface Resources", shelf sections may be developed only by those companies, in which the state's stake is no less than 50%, and also companies with work experience on the shelf of no less than five years.
The intentions of the Russian government to withdraw from the development of the state program on shelf development were reported earlier. It was expected that after the cancellation of the development of a separate program on the exploration of the shelf and the development of its mineral resources, subsurface resource users during the study and development of the continental shelf would be guided by strategic planning documents.
