Gazprom-led Shtokman Development AG has so far failed to persuade the Russian Government to grant the tax breaks it has requested, Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Shatalov said on Friday.
“They have given us and the Ministry of Finances some sort of data which in my view does not allow us to make any strategic decisions”, Shatalov said. “The figures they have presented for output dynamics and reserves, are all subject to questions”, he added.
The Shtokman partners – Gazprom, France’s Total and Norway’s Statoil, are to meet later this month to make a final investment decision on the project. The tax issue is seen as the key for Shtokman to go ahead.
Earlier Shatalov has said that tax breaks for the Shtokman project could be arranged in the same manner as it has been for projects in the Yamal region. But the government cannot make any decision before they have received a feasibility study from the investors.
“We understand that tax relieves are required, that it won’t succeed without them, but the range of tax breaks, their parameters, are difficult to predict,” he added, according to RIA Novosti.
Last week Gazprom threatened to delay the first oil from its Prirazlomnoye project until the government comes up with a resolution on tax breaks on Arctic offshore fields.
