Kovykta Gas Field: No Amendments

TNK-BP won’t be able to eliminate the license violations for Kovykta development and no amendments will be added to the license, Federal Agency for Subsoil Use said, Interfax reported.

Subsoil operator of Kovykta gas condensate field, RUSIA Petroleum won’t eliminate violations of license agreement related to Kovykta field of gas condensate, said Rosnedra chief Anatoly Ledovskikh at the news conference Tuesday.

He said that the license agreement on Kovykta couldn’t be amended now, as the inspection was properly held and the company had time to clear up troubles.

Asked whether the situation with Kovykta will improve after the change of the owner, Ledovskikh said that “Rosnedra will have to agree on with a new owner of the field. The license will be amended, perhaps, in part of production size, for instance.” But Ledovskikh ignored the question about Rosnedra’s unwillingness to come to terms with today’s license holder.

Under the license, RUSIA Petroleum is to supply 9 billion cu meters of gas to Irkutsk Region starting from 2006. The license was granted more than ten years ago and the gas consumption of the region was forecasted at that time as well.

The region doesn’t need so much gas today, RUSIA Petroleum claims, pointing out it is ready to start production and deliveries.

Roughly a year ago, TNK-BP drafted amendments to license agreement, but Rosnedra hasn’t passed them so far, Kommersant reported.