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We are ready to drill, says Lukoil

Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov is ready to go for oil in the Barents Sea. Here from the launch of an offshore Caspian field together with Vladimir Putin. Photo: Lukoil.ru

The two biggest oil companies in Russia formalize talks over drilling in the Barents Sea.

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The deals offered by Rosneft to ExxonMobil and Eni suit us perfectly well, Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov told journalists last week. Now, Lukoil is taking steps which could make it Rosneft’s third Arctic offshore partner.

Company leader Alekperov this week confirms that an official working group with representatives of both Rosneft and Lukoil is being established and that “several objects” will be discussed. Among the objects are highly promising field structures in the Barents Sea.

According to Alekperov, the working group will have its first meeting after May 10,  Oilru.com informs.

As previously reported, Rosneft has offered both domestic Russian and foreign oil companies 33,3 percent stakes in 12 offshore fields. Among the fields mentioned are the Fedynskoye, Perseevskoye, Tsentralo-Barentsevskoye fields and the Admiralteyskaya and the Pakhtusovskaya structures. The Fedynskoye and the Tsentralo-Barentsevskoye fields were both included in the deal signed with Eni earlier this week.

In return for stakes in the Barents Sea and in the Black Sea, Lukoil will offer Rosneft pieces of its project portfolio in third countries, among them in West Africa, RIA Novosti reports.