Russian Oil and Gas Industry: News

Moscow Set to Put an End to 'Western Dominance' in Oil Trading

Essentially taking Brent crude trading to St.Petersburg. Much like how they did with NatGas. This should bring in more money.

This was posted on reuters in October:
UPDATE 1-Russia to raise mineral extraction tax rate on Gazprom by 36.7 pct in 2016

They decided not to increase extraction taxation on oil though as it is said that it would cut into opening of new wells. But that dream may fall short if oil prices drop to $30/bbl and thus increase in taxation on it may happen anyway.

People are afraid to tax the crap out of their oil companies, but this is essentially what Norway did and it worked for them. Gazprom and Rosneft are partially owned by the government. Maybe the government needs to take over 100% one of the companies dealing with export and domestic affairs of oil and gas, and heavily tax it as all profits would go to the budget. But that wont happen as there is a demand to privatization.

In Vologda opened production of innovative products for the oil industry

Merkel defends Nord Stream-2 pipeline

https://www.rt.com/business/326440-merkel-gas-nord-stream2/


Looks like the South Stream countries are now protesting Nord Stream-2 and Merkel is defending NS-2.


Realistically speaking lets says Nord Stream-2 gets cancelled under EU pressure and Turkish Stream future looks bleak , What other projects Gazprom has to take care of long term gas revenues leave aside china project

Austin wrote:Merkel defends Nord Stream-2 pipeline

https://www.rt.com/business/326440-merkel-gas-nord-stream2/


Looks like the South Stream countries are now protesting Nord Stream-2 and Merkel is defending NS-2.


Realistically speaking lets says Nord Stream-2 gets cancelled under EU pressure and Turkish Stream future looks bleak , What other projects Gazprom has to take care of long term gas revenues leave aside china project

LNG.

First LNG plant in Siberia to start operations in August 2016

kvs wrote:

sepheronx wrote:

Austin wrote:Merkel defends Nord Stream-2 pipeline

https://www.rt.com/business/326440-merkel-gas-nord-stream2/


Looks like the South Stream countries are now protesting Nord Stream-2 and Merkel is defending NS-2.


Realistically speaking lets says Nord Stream-2 gets cancelled under EU pressure and Turkish Stream future looks bleak , What other projects Gazprom has to take care of long term gas revenues leave aside china project

LNG.

It would be nice if Russia could use nuclear power to liquify the natural gas for very little cost and ship it out at the
usual 100% markup.    Selling cheap pipeline gas to a bunch of hater ingrates has got to stop.

Russia is building LNG plants. More of them. Currently has 1, building 3 more (or possibly more). 1 in St.Petersburg, and 1 in Vladivostok.

LNG will still be cheap for many and easy to obtain and if Nord 2 stream dies, and all Russia has left to sell to Europe is that same pipeline through Ukraine, they could essentially just cancel control on that pipeline and hand over the control of it (sell it of course) to EU and Ukraine and let them fight each other on stolen gas. So in other words, they still sell oil/gas to Europe through Ukraine, but it is up to EU to secure the flow from Ukraine to the rest of them. So in this case, next time Ukraine is caught siphoning gas and what not, it is essentially stealing it from EU and not Russia, and it would be up to EU to deal with Ukraine on that matter, while Russia can just wash its hands.

From last link I posted on here, China is still main market for Russian LNG and will be on top of the power of Siberia pipeline, at least till they decide to finally sign on Power of Siberia 2. Already they signed the agreement on the border connection (Power of Siberia 1).

EU and rest will more than likely end up obtaining more LNG from Russia and the transport of it will be fairly cheap (railway and shipping as example). Other Asian countries will also be interested in it too.

Bloomberg be surprised...

Siberian Surprise: Russian Oil Patch Just Keeps Pumping

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-20/siberian-surprise-russian-oil-patch-just-keeps-pumping


Siberian Surprise: The Numbers Behind Russia's Oil Resilience

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-20/siberian-surprise-the-numbers-behind-russia-s-oil-resilience

PapaDragon wrote:
Bloomberg be surprised...

  Siberian Surprise: Russian Oil Patch Just Keeps Pumping  

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-20/siberian-surprise-russian-oil-patch-just-keeps-pumping


  Siberian Surprise: The Numbers Behind Russia's Oil Resilience  

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-20/siberian-surprise-the-numbers-behind-russia-s-oil-resilience

Hell of a guy.

“I will tell you when Russian companies are for sure going to decrease production -- when oil costs $0,” Deputy Energy Minister Kirill Molodtsov said at an industry event in Moscow this month.

"Gazprom Neft" has begun shipping bitumen to Israel and Bulgaria

If GG translate is correct.

Then Germany basically just said: "F*** it, we will do Nord Stream 2 with Russia, you can protest for all your life and we won't f****ing care."

http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/vorab/bundesregierung-will-neue-ostsee-pipeline-nicht-verhindern-a-1069332.html

Die Bundesregierung will trotz heftiger Kritik aus Osteuropa und aus der CDU die geplante neue Ostseepipeline zwischen Russland und Deutschland nicht stoppen. Der Bau der Nord-Stream-2-Pipeline sei eine unternehmerische Entscheidung der beteiligten deutschen und russischen Firmen, heißt es im Kanzleramt. "Wir pushen die Sache nicht, und wir bekämpfen sie nicht." Ob das Projekt gegen Europarecht verstoße, müsse die EU-Kommission prüfen. Kritiker beklagen, der Bau würde die Abhängigkeit von russischem Gas verstärken. Der slowakische Außenminister Miroslav Lajčák sagt: "Wir haben ernste Zweifel, was dieses Projekt betrifft." Nord Stream 2 trage nicht zur notwendigen Diversifizierung der europäischen Energieversorgung bei. Außerdem würde das Vorhaben die Ukraine schädigen und vom Gas-Transit nach Europa abschneiden, kritisiert Lajčák. Auch CDU-Bundestagsabgeordnete wie der Vorsitzende des Auswärtigen Ausschusses, Norbert Röttgen, hatten geklagt, Nord Stream 2 widerspreche dem Ziel, die Abhängigkeit von russischem Gas zu verhindern.

Wonder if Saudi is waiting for long haul

Saudi Arabia won't stop pumping oil, says minister
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/oilprices/12074752/Saudi-Arabia-wont-stop-pumping-oil-says-minister.html

From Warszawa, again

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160104/1032656144/poland-nord-stream.html

Warsaw wants planned gas pipelines delivering Russian gas to Europe, such as Nord Stream 2, to run through Poland, Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said Monday.

The Poles need to understand that, Nord Stream's intention is to NOT going through Poland.

So there is no way NS version 2 will let Poland have any share in it.

Saudi Arabia faces 'economic bomb' and hikes gas prices 50%


Looks like their little economic war against Russia isn't working out so well.

Do you think that Siluanov always says "we are out of money" ?

Is he designed to say negative news in order to maintain sufficent cautiousness of Russian's public and to lure the 5th columnists ?

https://www.rt.com/business/328369-cheap-crude-threatens-to-deplete/

According to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, the country’s Reserve Fund could end in 2016. In this case, Russia will turn to its other international reserve, the National Welfare Fund.

The main threat comes from falling oil prices. Russia's 2016 budget depends on oil prices averaging $50 per barrel to meet spending. Below that price, the country must dip into its reserves.

He is cautioning the government stating that at their current spending habits, the reserve fund will deplete. He is correct, it will. But he also needs to be reminded why they exist in the first place. Sometimes people forget the purpose of the reserve funds.

It also all depends on how the funds are spent. Are they spent as investments like what the National Welfare fund is? Or are they just spent and that is it? If spent as investments, that money will return eventually anyway.

The other issue is that the economists don't quite seem to put 2+2 together. They think that when its it, its it. No more reserve means no more spending. But they forget about borrowing from their own people so national debt. They also forget that if they do not spend money, it will spiral out of control with a lot of people out of jobs and a lot of extra money need to be spent on social benefits, causing even more damage to the countries economy.

They will have to keep spending till they can find an alternative to oil and gas as a way to get more money into the budget. I still think they can get more money out of it for reserves but that would require taxation. Other areas are still mining of other industries, and the wood industry as well. They could also look at reducing certain taxes for citizens on spending but increase the income tax to bring in more money, etc etc. Problem is that may reduce further spending habits of people which will hurt the economy.

Right now, Russia is kind of in a bind on a lot of things economically. You cannot have all the same social benefits Russia has, but keep income tax so low. Same with businesses are getting a lot of free reign with not providing enough to the government - grey economy and such. People trying to find ways not to pay taxes, even if it is quite low compared to most western countries.

De-Dollarization: Russia's Oil Benchmark Futures to Be Priced in Rubles

sepheronx wrote:De-Dollarization: Russia's Oil Benchmark Futures to Be Priced in Rubles

Well, about de-dollarization Russia and BRICS allies are still buying gold... from America. The final result of that is U.S. dollar value losts its foundation while rub and yuan gain.

Pakistan’s $2 billion LNG pipeline project hits a snag

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1027143/bottleneck-pakistans-2-billion-lng-pipeline-project-hits-a-snag/

Austin wrote:Pakistan’s $2 billion LNG pipeline project hits a snag

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1027143/bottleneck-pakistans-2-billion-lng-pipeline-project-hits-a-snag/

Lol.  Pakistan can and cant do things cause of US.  None of the money is from US (its coming from Russia) and US is preventing it.  Wow, didnt realise that Pakistan was a colony of the US.

I know some will be happy to hear this news for their hate of Pakistan.