Gazprom, which took control of Shell's Sakhalin-2 project last year, now wants a stake in Exxon's venture, Vedomosti reported Thursday. Gazprom held talks with both Exxon and its partner in Sakhalin-1, state-controlled Rosneft, Vedomosti said.
Exxon has only held negotiations with Gazprom regarding sales of gas from Sakahlin-1, Exxon spokeswoman Dilyara Sydykova told the newspaper. Sydykova and other company spokespeople were unavailable to comment.
Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov declined to comment, Vedomosti reported.
Rosneft has no comment on the article, spokesman Nikolai Manvelov said by telephone.
The report came after Gazprom deputy chairman Alexander Ananenkov on Wednesday lambasted foreign operators of Sakhalin-1, signaling new pressure on the country's last big foreign-led energy project.
"We have received an extremely negative experience of foreign participation in exploration projects in Russia's east," Ananenkov said.
"A handover of control over the projects led to an infringement of Russia's national interests, turning Russian gas consumers into 'poor relations' who see their gas siphoned off," Ananenkov said.
Sakhalin-1 is operated under a production-sharing agreement, which excludes the project from Gazprom's legal monopoly on gas exports.
Last week, the government cut Sakhalin-1's $1.84 billion funding plan by $576 million after it had found that studies of a pipeline to China were unnecessary.
Bloomberg, Reuters
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.