Minister: Russia’s geological exploration may fall in 2015

MOSCOW, Jan 29 (PRIME) -- Russia’s geological exploration may fall in 2015, but the forecast for oil output remains unchanged, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi told reporters on Thursday.

“A decrease (of geological exploration) is most likely to happen. We forecast it for the year’s beginning, and do not know how it will develop further – we only hope for the best,” Donskoi said, adding that it is difficult to name the parameters which will fall.

The Energy Ministry’s oil output forecast for 2015 stands at 525–526 million tonnes, and Donskoi said that the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is still waiting for oil companies to provide their data, but it is very unlikely that the forecast will be decreased.

He also said that he may enter boards of directors of several state-controlled companies, including exploration company Rusgeology, also known as Rosgeo.

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