Putin: Energy cooperation main line of Russian–Japanese relations

VLADIVOSTOK, Sep 10 (PRIME) -- Energy cooperation, including possible participation in the Sakhalin-2, the Arctic-2 LNG (liquefied natural gas) and the Baltic LNG projects, is the key line of relations between Russia and Japan, President Vladimir Putin said after a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Eastern Economic Forum on Monday.

“The energy industry is the mainline direction of bilateral cooperation. Japanese companies participated in the launch of the second stage of the Yamal LNG facility in July. The third stage with capacity of 16.5 million tonnes is constructed,” he said.

“The Japanese partners are also considering joining the Sakhalin-2, the Arctic-2 LNG and the Baltic LNG projects, as well as construction of an LNG transshipment complex in the Kamchatka Region. Russian and Japanese companies jointly develop the Chayanda oilfield in the Irkutsk Region.”

Sakhalin-2 is Russia’s first LNG-producing facility. Its operator Sakhalin Energy is owned by Gazprom with 50% plus one share, Shell with 27.5% minus one share, Mitsui & Co. Ltd with 12.5% and Mitsubishi Corporation with 10%.

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. The cost of the plant is U.S. $27 billion. The facility is expected to produce 19.8 million tonnes of LNG per year.

The president also said that a third mission of Japanese companies to Russia’s Southern Kuril Islands will be organized until the end of 2018, and the fourth round of negotiations on cooperation in the regions is to follow.

Abe said that he and Putin approved a roadmap on five joint projects on the Kuril Islands in the fields of fishery, tourism, wind power production and wastes treatment.

Putin also said that nuclear cooperation between Russia and Japan is expanding, and Japanese companies are getting involved in construction of an up-to-date transport infrastructure in Russia.

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