| As a source in the Industry and Energy Ministry revealed Interfax there is just one company, TNK-Nizhnevartovsk, which represents a Russian-British joint venture TNK-BP(RTS: TNKO), will be able to export oil to China through Kazakhstan Atasau-Alashankou oil pipeline in 2008.
According to this source, the total quantity of oil to be supplied via this route this year is 500, 000 tons.
TNK-Nizhnevartovsk was the only to be allowed to ship oil to this part. Gazprom Neft(RTS:SIBN) was turned down in their petition to the Industry and Energy Ministry in provision of 1.08 million tons of oil to China via the same line in the second quarter of 2008. As the spokesman announced the company was not given explanations of the circumstances of the denial, which was a great shock for it. Now they want to clarify the issue.
In the beginning of 2008 the two companies TNK-BP and Gazprom Neft had an agreement to export 150, 000 tons of oil to China each. Gasprom Neft though had a problem with transporting the oil after having an disagreement with KazTransOil, Kazakhstan's transportation monopoly. Simultaneously TNK-BP plans to boost the exporting of oil in the second quarter of the year.
According to the treaty about mutual transit between Russia and Kazakhstan signed in November 2007 Russia is allowed to supply 5 million tons of oil to China via Atasu-Alashankou pipeline yearly. The programs for the oil export via Kazakhstan have been conformed until now.
This program states that Russian oil companies will be able to supply approximately 3.57 million tons of oil to Kazakhstan until the end of the year. To be more accurate Rosneft(RTS:ROSN) will deliver 1.05 million tons, Surgutneftegas(RTS:SNGS) – 750, 000 tons and Gazprom Neft – 420, 000 tons. This oil goes to Kazakhstan's Pavlodar Oil Refinery. Additionally, PetroKazakhstan firm, a Chinese-Kazakh enterprise, will get 1.35 million tons of oil, 600, 000 tons of which comes from Lucoil(RTS:LKOH), 450, 000 tons from TNK-BP and 300, 000 tons will be supplied from RussNeft. |
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