Oil companies don’t want to disclose geological data

Rosneft, Lukoil, Gazpromneft and Surgutneftegaz have argued against the idea of ​​the Ministry of Natural Resources to open access to information on reserves and parameters of deposits development. These data will be opened on a single portal of geological data, the creation of which, according to the Kommersant’s information, is scheduled for 2017. But the oil companies believe that disclosure will lead to unfair competition and reduce the attractiveness of assets. However, according to analysts, the oil companies rather fear the tightening of the state control.

Heads of the major oil companies have asked the Ministry of Natural Resources not to make geological data on fields, developed by them, publicly available. The corresponding letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources Sergei Donskoi was signed by Igor Sechin (Rosneft), Vagit Alekperov (Lukoil), Vladimir Bogdanov (Surgutneftegaz) and Alexander Dyukov (Gazpromneft). The information may appear in the public access after the launch of the Common Fund of Geological Information that, according to the Kommersant’s information, will take place in mid-2017 (regulations came into force in 2016). It is assumed that any citizen of the Russian Federation will be able to receive primary (geophysical and geochemical) and interpreted geological information (reports, maps, plans, sketches). The primary information will be open three years after its submission to the Russian Federal Geological Fund, interpreted ones - five years after the submission. For the existing licenses the requirements will come into effect immediately.