Putin signed the decree on December 1, newspaper Vedomosti reports. The document confirms that another four major fields in the Yamal Peninsula are to be sold in the course of 2011. The fields Severo-Obskoye, the Vostochno-Tambeyskoye, the Utrennoye and the Geofizicheskoye are believed to contain significant amounts of hydrocarbons. The Severo-Obskoye and the Vostochno-Tambeyskoye are both located offshore along the peninsula.
It is not clear which companies will get the four licenses. However, currently there are only two companies represented at Yamal. Gazprom holds all the major assets, except two which is owned by Russia’s biggest privately owned gas company, Novatek.
While Gazprom is in the process of developing its huge Bovenenkovo field, Novatek is planning LNG production at its South Tambey field. The Yamal LNG is planned to start production in 2018. As previously reported by BarentsObserver, a significant amount of the LNG is planned shipped along the Northern Sea Route.
Read also: LNG construction on Yamal in 2012
It is likely that the Gazprom and Novatek will get the new field licences. In that case, Novatek’s LNG project could get additional significant gas resources. Gazprom is likely to get the two offshore field licenses, but could eventually end up striking a cooperation deal with Novatek, an representative of the Ministry of Natural Resources told Vedomosti.
