LUKOIL and Yamalshelf proposed the Ministry of Natural Resources to assign the status of federal significance to six sites

LUKOIL proposed that the Ministry of Natural Resources include the Nadezhda site in the Baltic Sea in the list of federal sites, and the Yamal Shelf Company (Yamalshelf) – five sites in the Kara Sea, Prime reports citing the ministry.

The Ministry of Natural Resources clarified that in the applications of Yamalshelf, it was about the Vostochno-Tasiysky, Karsky, Severo-Gydansky, Severo-Yeniseisky, Vostochno-Beloostrovsky subsoil plots. The companies applied to the ministry between June 1 and July 31, the agency reports.

The inclusion of subsoil resources in the list of sites of federal importance allows private companies to apply for their development. According to the current procedure, the Ministry of Natural Resources first draws up a list of sites of federal significance in territorial waters based on proposals from companies, then collects applications for these sites. If only one company claims a plot, it is given the right to develop subsoil on it, if two or more, an auction is held.

LUKOIL has been seeking a license to develop Nadezhda since 2016. In 2022 the government failed companies in granting a license, and the Ministry of Natural Resources proposed to re-send the application with clarification of the boundaries of the site in order to exclude the possibility of harming the Curonian Spit National Park.

Yamalshelf, in turn, has been trying to obtain a license for the East Tasiysky block in Yamal since 2021. The company encountered difficulties because the site overlaps the boundaries of a specially protected natural area. In winter, Yamalshelf adjusted the requested boundaries and in February asked the government to issue a license, taking into account the adjustments, but the Ministry of Natural Resources sent application for a new round of approvals.

Erdni Kagaltynov