FAS suggests sharing the Power of Siberia

Rosneft, that has long been trying to force Gazprom out of its position of the monopoly gas exporter, might obtain the legal grounds to do it. According to the FAS draft on Government regulation, the independent gas producers will be able to demand from Gazprom access to the existing and planned gas pipelines. Thus Rosneft will gain grounds not only for a quota in the export gas pipeline “Power of Siberia” to China but for the expansion of the pipe for its supplies.

Yesterday FAS published the corrected draft "Government regulation on non-discrimination access to the route gas pipelines". FAS has been unsuccessfully trying to get its acceptance for 4 years. Despite of the existing regulation, this document cancels Gazprom’s monopoly for the possession of route gas pipelines and it concerns the gas pipelines not included into the Single System of gas supply. The most important thing is that gas owners will be able to apply for pumping 5 years prior to its actual start and it opens the opportunity of gas acceptance for transportation by the not as yet constructed gas pipelines. That means Rosneft will be able to apply for gas pumping by the Power of Siberia gas pipeline which is planned to be put into operation by Gazprom in 2019 for exports to China. The head of the oil company, I. Sechin, raised this question at the meeting of the Presidential committee for the fuel and energy sector in early June. According to the current legislation, Rosneft doesn’t have such a right. Gazprom and Rosneft refused to comment.