Sakhalin-2 is afloat again

The Ministry of Natural Resources returned the water use license to the project

With the arrival of Gazprom in Sakhalin-2, it seems that the attitude of officials towards the project is gradually changing. As it became known yesterday, Rosvodresursy renewed 12 licenses for water use of the general contractor of Sakhalin-2 - the Starstroy company (owned by LUKOIL and Eni). These licenses were suspended in December last year after the deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor Oleg Mitvol and the Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev personally checked whether environmental legislation was being violated on Sakhalin. Rosvodresursy notes that the licenses were restored immediately after the New Year holidays by order of the Ministry of Natural Resources. So already in mid-January the company began construction work on the project.

The press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed this information, but clarified that the licenses were temporarily restored. “The licenses were renewed so that Sakhalin Energy (the company that operates Sakhalin-2 - Ed. ) could eliminate the violations,” Rinat Gizatulin, press secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources, told Vremya Novostey. “If the company does not submit a plan to eliminate violations to the ministry by the end of February, the license will be revoked again.” The press service of Sakhalin Energy confirmed the renewal of the license, but declined to comment. According to a company representative, construction is proceeding as normal. Contractors still have to lay about 100 km of pipeline, complete the remaining crossings over rivers and tectonic faults, and install special shut-off valves. “By the end of the year, the construction of all pipelines will be completed,” the company assured.

The water use licenses of the general contractor Sakhalin Energy were revoked in early December after numerous inspections by Rosprirodnadzor and the Ministry of Natural Resources, which began in August last year. Based on the results of the inspections, the Ministry of Natural Resources required Sakhalin Energy to develop a plan to eliminate violations. The company submitted its program of environmental measures back in November, but the ministry was not satisfied with it. “To prepare a new detailed plan, a general inspection report from Rosprirodnadzor is needed, which the agency has not yet provided,” noted a source in the company.

Meanwhile, Oleg Mitvol continues to threaten the Sakhalin-2 project, turning to international courts. As he told Vremya Novostey yesterday, the letter from Rosprirodnadzor to the head of Sakhalin Energy, Ian Craig, contains a demand to present a new environmental action plan. “Otherwise, Rosprirodnadzor will be forced to take coercive measures, up to and including filing a claim with an international arbitration body for compensation for damage caused to the environment,” it says. As Mr. Mitvol explained, the letter “is of a technical nature” and is intended to “translate the requirements into written format.” According to him, Rosprirodnadzor will not prepare a general inspection report, since the company was provided with all the necessary documents. Sakhalin Energy said that they have not yet received this letter.

However, all the officials’ threats are effective, apparently, only until Gazprom’s formal entry into the Sakhalin-2 project. Although the protocol on the sale of a 50% stake plus one share of Sakhalin Energy to the Russian monopoly by the project's shareholders - Shell, Mitsui and Mitsubishi companies - was signed on December 21, the deal remains open. It is planned that it will be completed before the end of the first quarter. At the same time, the Ministry of Industry and Energy must approve a new cost estimate for the project, which was increased by the operator company from 10 billion to 19.5 billion dollars. As practice shows, Mr. Mitvol is not able to fight for environmental cleanliness with Gazprom - Widely announced inspections of the concern’s activities in the Yamalo-Nenets Okrug ended in nothing. By the way, the Ministry of Natural Resources is already establishing cooperation with the environmental services of the monopoly. “Gazprom’s environmentalists understand how to solve the environmental problems of the Sakhalin-2 project,” says Mr. Gizatulin.

Anna GORSHKOVA