Conflict Around TNK-BP's Kovykta Again

Irkutsk Region?s Governor Alexander Tishanin intends to submit to the local Assembly a general layout of regional gas supply and gasification in December, Kommersant daily reported.

The document that has been made out by Gazprom doesn?t mention the country?s largest undeveloped field ? Kovykta, where Rusia Petroleum is an operator.

On Wednesday evening, Promgaz General Director Alexander Karasevich introduced gas supply and gasification guidelines to Deputy Chairman of Gazprom Board Alexander Ananenkov and Irkutsk Region?s Governor Alexander Tishanin. Gasification provides for ?developing 11 small/mid.-size fields of the region, including Bratskoe, Markovskoe, Ayanskoe, Yaraktinskoe and Dulisminskoe,? Karasevich specified. Kovykta field was not mentioned at the meeting, Tishanin?s briefer Sergey Marfitsyn told Kommerant.

TNK-BP is the majority holder of 62.42 percent in Kovykta?s operator Rusia Petroleum. Moreover, TNK-BP has set up East Siberian Gas Co. exactly for the purpose of the regional gasification. Alexey Sobol, general director of the latter, was rather skeptical when commenting on plans of Promgaz and Gazprom, as ?the small fields may fail to ensure the annual supply of 2.5 bcm to the region, the more so that they are sparse in the region and located far from communication services and towns.?

The conflict around Kovykta field inflamed when Gazprom was denied a stake in Rusia Petroleum. Now Russia?s gas monopoly blocks any actions of TNK-BP to sell Kovykta gas. In summer, Kovykta was crossed out from the list of fields, which gas will be shipped to China. Also in summer, TNK-BP offered to meet gas requirements of Irkutsk Region for the account of Kovykta. It appears now the company is a loser again.