Absolutely no suspicion. You are referring to the pipeline being held up until after U.S. elections? That very well could be as the Murmansk project is back on the drawing board.
My understanding is that Russia does not have enough reserves for both the China and the Japan route. Remember Russia and Japan are still technically fighting WWII. To add to the confusion the Murmansk pipeline is apparently under serious consideration now that Khodorkovsky is out of the picture. If they go with Murmansk can they still service either China or Japan? They are in the process of replenishing reserves in the oil-rich blocks on the remote eastern island of Sakhalin and elsewhere.
One of the reasons Khodorkovsky fell from grace was he backed a private consortium plan to build a pipeline to Murmansk. Putin can now control the Murmansk project.
The Barents Sea could soon become a transit route for supertankers shipping crude oil from Murmansk, the only warm water port on the west coast of Russia, to the US.
Russian oil industry officials have proposed an oil pipeline from Siberia to Murmansk, from where it would take just 9 days for a ship to reach Houston, compared with 32 days from the Middle East.
Russia is keen to raise its share of the US market to 10%, almost on par with Mexico's.
The Americans like the idea too, since this would reduce their dependence on oil shipments from members of the Opec oil producers' cartel.
Newly appointed Yukos oil chief executive Simon Kukes sees no need to join forces with a major Western oil company,
In another change of tactics, Kukes said it's immaterial whether an oil pipeline is built to China or to the Arctic seaport of Murmansk, but it must be decided quickly to ensure that growing Russia production can reach international markets.
In the following also note the potential of cooperation between Norway, Russia and OPEC. -Am
Russia, Norway to discuss pipeline system development
28.01.2004, 01.59
MOSCOW, January 28 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Energy Minister Igor Yusufov and his Norwegian counterpart Einar Steensnaes will discuss the development of Russia's pipeline system and prospects for accessing it, at their talks here on Wednesday.
The parties will pay special attention to the construction of the Murmansk pipeline, a representative of the Russian Energy Ministry told Itar-Tass.
Russia and Norway will also review the condition of the oil and gas sectors of the two countries, and may touch upon the cooperation between two independent oil producers and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
The Norwegian minister is planning to hold a number of meetings with representatives of large Russian companies.
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
