Novatek to launch Yamal LNG’s 3rd stage in Dec ‘18–Jan ‘19

SABETTA, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, May 3 (PRIME) -- Russian independent gas producer Novatek plans to launch the second stage of its Yamal LNG liquefied natural gas plant in September and the third in December 2018–January 2019, Novatek CEO Leonid Mikhelson told reporters on April 29.

“Regarding Yamal LNG, we’ve told our Japanese partners today that the second stage is undergoing commissioning works, and we plan to launch it sometime in September. The third stage will be (launched) sometime in December or January. We are to start commissioning works at the end of the year,” he said.

Production capacity of the three stages would exceed the projected capacity of 16.5 million tonnes of LNG. “We’ve already said today that we’ve made an investment decision to build a fourth technological line…which we plan to launch in late 2019–early 2020,” he said.

Novatek also plans to finish front-end engineering design of the Arctic LNG-2 project in November, and to make an investment decision on construction of an LNG terminal in Kamchatka in July–December. The government may include the Arctic LNG-2 project in an advanced development territory on the peninsula as a measure of state support, he said.

The company’s negotiations with its Japanese partners over the Arctic LNG-2 project are at an advanced and detailed stage, the company plans to finish them in 2018, he said.

Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin told reporters that the ministry would help Novatek and the Japanese companies to reach an agreement on the project.

The Yamal LNG project envisages construction of a 16.5-million-tonne LNG plant on the basis of the Yuzhno-Tambeiskoye field on the Yamal Peninsula. Novatek holds 50.1% in the project, France’s Total has 20%, China’s CNPC owns 20% and China’s Silk Road Fund holds 9.9%.

The Arctic LNG-2 plant will be launched in 2022–2025 and fields of the Gydan Peninsula in the north of West Siberia will become its resource base.

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