| The government is preparing a report on mineral security Supervising the fuel and energy complex “like an adult” is no less prestigious than national projects or the military-industrial complex. In accordance with the presidential will, having shared the latest functions with newly arrived deputies, while increasing command over customs, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov focused on the country's mineral and raw material stability. Soon he will have the opportunity to show off government proposals to his colleagues in power to overcome inertial trends in the development of the fuel and energy complex. The Prime Minister will make a report on the state of the mineral resource base and technological support of the fuel and energy complex at a meeting of the Security Council in the second ten days of June.
Mr. Fradkov tried to reveal the scale of the tasks yesterday at the government commission on the fuel and energy complex. “We have to work here on a constant basis; we need to clearly understand the problems that hinder the development of the raw material base, find tools to meet domestic needs and increase export potential,” the prime minister said. He demanded innovations: “You won’t get far here with old luggage.” And with their help, we can overcome the technological gap in this area between Russia and the West.
The main ideologist of the transformation of the domestic fuel and energy complex into a high-tech supermodel was the Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev. Since 2007, he has demanded an increase in funding for the program for the reproduction of the mineral resource base. In his opinion, it is worth providing more studied areas for use, generating more income for the state and reducing the risks of investors. To carry out parametric drilling in Eastern Siberia - it is expected to spend at least 3.5 billion rubles on its implementation. It is planned to allocate at least 11 billion rubles for shelf development. According to Mr. Trutnev, this will allow localizing up to 15 billion tons of resources. The minister predicts an unprecedented return from an investment of 1 billion rubles. in geological exploration of uranium. In general, money, close attention from the state and, as Mr. Trutnev said, an attractive legislative framework - this is the golden key.
Apparently, as an example of legislative attractiveness, the Minister of Natural Resources named some changes that will be made to the long-suffering bill “On Subsoil”. In fact, all of them are aimed at strengthening state control over the use of subsoil. Thus, the state will have the right to pre-trial termination of a contract for the use of a subsoil plot if the user fails to put the deposit into operation on time or ceases to comply with the requirements of the law. It is also proposed that “in exceptional cases” the government will decide whether to enter into a contract based on the results of a competition.
Oil magnates took an active part in the discussion on competitiveness. LUKOIL President Vagit Alekperov said that Russia is fully integrated into the world market and that there should be no concerns about some kind of patriarchal backwardness. The head of Rosneft, Sergei Bogdanchikov, noted that “with current technologies” his company can feel provided with raw materials for as long as 30 years. There really is enough raw material to live on for Mr. Bogdanchikov. But the prime minister did not like this way of putting the question. “What does it mean - with the existing ones?” - he asked again. And he gave the task to look ahead further than 30 years. Vera KUZNETSOVA |
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