PRESS: Ministry, watchdog oppose lower tariffs for oil transport

MOSCOW, Jun 8 (PRIME) -- The Energy Ministry and the Federal Antimonopoly Service did not support a proposal to lower tariffs of oil pipeline monopoly Transneft and Russian Railways for oil transportation due to the OPEC+ deal, RBC Daily reported Monday citing sources.

On May 12, oil major Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin asked President Vladimir Putin to discuss bringing tariffs of transport monopolies in compliance with current oil prices. Sechin said that in 2008, the oil price in rubles stood at around 1,100 rubles and the tariff for pumping was 822 rubles per tonne, while now the oil price is 1,200 rubles, and the tariff is 2,100 rubles per tonne.

Three federal government officials told the daily that the Energy Ministry had prepared a negative response to the proposal to reduce Transneft’s tariffs thus having supported the Federal Antimonopoly Service’s position.

The ministry opposes lowering tariffs as it believes that it is necessary to keep investment programs of Transneft and Russian Railways, a source familiar with the ministry’s position said. “They’ve already suffered from a decrease in a flow of oil and oil products due to the OPEC+ deal and lower demand for transportation due to the pandemic,” the source said.

In late May, Putin ordered the government to study by June 15 the issue of setting special tariffs for oil transportation services of Transneft and Russian Railways for the period the OPEC+ deal is in force.

End