WE ARE HIGHLY INTERESTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION WITH CASPIAN STATES
"Transneft" and state
The high credit rating of Russia proves once again the fact that exactly the state status of the company guarantees her steady development. The basic task of the company "Transneft" is providing production companies with reliable, highly effective transport allowing to carry out of uninterrupted petroleum supply, both to inner and external markets. It is enough to remember how "Transneft" was able to solve so scale tasks. Till 1998 in Russia occurred sharp decrease of petroleum production volume from 400 mln down to 296 mln tons of petroleum per year. The system of main oil-trunk pipelines appeared underloaded, a number of pipe-line transport objects were conserved and dismantled, by the government instruction "Transneft" developed program of optimizing capacities from 1999 to 2010. However, since 1999, substantial growth of production volumes is observed, actually level of petroleum production in the country exceeded predicted level of adopted programs. In 2002 374-mln tons Russian petroleum and transit foreign petroleum was exported by the pipelines of "Transneft" that by 9,2% exceeded the level of 2001. The increase of petroleum production caused necessity of increasing the company capacities and during 2000 - 2002 19 oil-transfer stations were reconstructed and set into operation, for recent 3 years extent of pipelines has increased almost by 1,5 thousand kilometers, new capacities are intensively created. "Transneft" annually directs about $1 bn for reconstruction of existing infrastructure. Annually about 800 km oil pipelines are replaced, overhaul and reconstruction of reservoir capacities with total amount more than 1 mln c.m. is conducted. Recently, as was already said, in connection with growth of petroleum production, level of deliveries to Russian oil processing factories grows. In 2002 volume of processed petroleum in comparison with 1999 increased by 40 mln tons per year, including in the OR of Russia by 25,4 mln tons. For last decade replacement of basic regions of petroleum consumption from east and south former USSR to the European part and also reduction of petroleum production in Ural-Povoljye and south of Russia is observed.
As a whole in the system, according to estimations of current year volume of pumped petroleum in view of transit from CIS countries can make about 400 mln tons.
Caspian petroleum
From times of former USSR the company "Transneft" got unique and rather effective transport system. It provides high degree of oil-pipeline transport integration of Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries and is very favorable from point of view of providing transit deliveries, therefore the company pays great attention to transit of the Caspian petroleum through the Russian territory.
In view of historical reasons Russia is organic part of the petroleum complex of Caspian region. We are quite interested in development of cooperation with Caspian states and consider interaction with them in sphere of fusel and power complex as a part of Russian general strategy of strengthening relations with representatives of Commonwealth.
According to the intergovernmental agreements of Baku-Tikhorechk-Novorossisk, annually over 2,5 mln tons of Azerbaijan petroleum is pumped. Along with transportation of Azerbaijan petroleum "Transneft" carries out also transportation of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan petroleum. In 2003 about 17,5 mln tons of Kazakhstan and about 1 mln ton of Turkmenistan petroleum must be pumped through our system. A number of projects realized by our company recent years provides today absolute reliability of Azerbaijan petroleum export, including, by the oil pipeline constructed around Chechnya, moreover they enable to receive Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan tankers with the purpose of subsequent petroleum transportation to Novorossisk through oil pipelines.
Together with Kazakhstan colleagues we reconstructed the pipeline Atirau-Samara, annual productivity of which increased 1,5 times up to 15 mln tons of petroleum per year, which promoted increase of petroleum export from Kazakhstan.
Investigation of petroleum export variants from the Caspian region countries carried out by independent expert structures on basic technical and economic parameters, show doubtless efficiency of use of the Russian pipeline system and existing ports of Novorossisk, Primorsk, and in the long term Croatian Omishal. That is the Russian routes by virtue of the objective economic reasons are most attractive for oilmen.
Russia - EU
Technically intellectual potential of "Transneft" repeatedly checked on practice allows solving many problems linked with transport of the Russian petroleum to world markets through Russian territory. Certainly, all this can be made at good will of our partners and on conditions of mutual benefit, that we shall have guaranteed volume of raw material pumping for certain terms. Nevertheless, despite of obvious advantages of using Russian routes, political interests frequently gained the up over economy, diversification of export routes with the purpose of reducing possible risks is natural aspiration oil manufacturers. At the same time "Transneft" is convinced that economic interests of participants of the market should not be sacrificed to the political conjuncture. The reliable and stable transit of power resources requires close cooperation between all the countries connected with single power networks. Europe is our old and stable partner, relations with which we value very highly. In our sight, the summit Russia-EU held this year in St. Petersburg, including the statements made by leaders of our states give all of us magnificent chances on strengthening cooperation. And development of new direction of "Transneft" - northwest can serve illustration of this thesis. Baltic Pipeline System (BPS), having begun to function at the end of 2001 represents unique complex of structures including pipeline objects and bulk-oil port in Primorsk, it was constructed by forces of the Russian contract organizations and at designing and construction of the system advanced technologies were applied. Since the first day of BTC work Kirishi-Primorsk got on design capacity. Launch of the second turn of BTC will allow exporting 62 mln tons of petroleum per year, with this purpose over $1 bn investments will be mastered. The routes Angarsk-Nakhodka-Dachin, and also route of transportation western Siberian petroleum in Murmansk are at the stage of development today, further will get on world markets by large-capacity tankers. Thus, acting and perspective projects of the company speak about extreme benefit of cooperation of the company "Transneft" with oilmen. "Transneft" presents the manufacturers high-quality services in reliable and safe transportation with application of economically justified tariffs.