Russia’s state-owned pipeline concern OAO Transneft will begin construction for the export terminal of the East Siberia Pacific Ocean oil pipeline this month, according to company officials.
“In March we are beginning the practical stage of the project,” said Transneft chief Nikolai Tokarev, referring to the oil export terminal that is to be located at Kozmino on Russia’s Pacific Coast.
“Currently, the feasibility study for the construction of the terminal is ready,” he said, adding, “It has successfully gone through examination by governmental experts.”
The Kozmino export terminal will have two berths for tankers, first one for 80,000 dwt ships and eventually another for 150,000 dwt ships. Plans call for an initial 300 visits/year, rising to 800 when the second berth is completed.
Plans also call for a railway oil discharge jetty and an oil handling terminal with an oil storage tank farm, along with other associated onshore and offshore facilities.
Meanwhile, Surgutneftegas—aiming to partly supply the ESPO line with crude oil—is preparing to begin commercial development of the Talakan oil field, which has reserves estimated at 124 million tonnes of oil and 47 billion cu m of natural gas.
The Surgutneftgas announcement followed a meeting of Tokarev, Surgutneftegas Gen. Director Vladimir Bogdanov and Vyacheslav Shtyrov, President of the republic of Yakutia, where Talakna field is located.
“We have purchased a pumping station and will deliver it to the field and install it,” said Bogdanov. “In July we will be ready to start filling the pipeline. This will enable commercial pumping to begin with the launch of the Talakan-Taishet section of the pipeline, which is planned for the fall.”
Bogdanov said the volume of production will depend on the launch date of the pipeline, but that “by 2009 we can ensure production of 1 million tonnes with subsequent increases in accordance with the field development project.”
The Surgutneftgas announcement coincided with a statement by Rosneft president Sergey Bogdanchikov that his company will undertake development of Vankor oil fields as a priority project in connection with the ESPO.
Bogdanchikov said that the fields, located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, will receive special attention because they are expected to supply the ESPO line with most of its crude oil.
He said commercial oil production at Vankor is expected to commence in August, and construction of the 19-20 million tonnes/year Vankor-Purpe pipeline will be completed in September.
The Vankor-Purpe line will connect area fields to the ESPO oil trunk pipeline system. Rosneft plans call for Vanko to produce 1.9 million tonnes of oil in 2008, 9.8 million tonnes in 2009, 15.6 in 2010 and 18.7 million in 2011.
The ESPO pipeline system is being built in two stages. The first is comprised of the pipeline from Taishet to Skovorodino and the oil terminal in Kozmino, while the second stage consists of a pipeline from Skovorodino to Kozmino. Under the first stage, as much as 30 million tonnes of oil will be delivered to Skovorodino, with onward transmission by rail to Kozmino. In the second stage, an additional 50 million tonnes will be delivered through the line directly to Kozmino.
Russian officials have yet to state clearly when construction of the ESPO will be completed and the line ready to be commissioned. In early February, the government said it would hold a meeting to discuss postponement of the line’s commissioning date (OGJ Online, Feb. 15, 2008).
