“I think it’s quite possible to continue collaboration with Shell in other fields, such as Sakhalin-3 and Sakhalin-4. These projects are far from the coastline and are very deep underwater. Your (Shell’s) experience will be needed there,” he said during a meeting with Shell CEO Jeroen van der Veer.
The Prime Minister commended Shell for being active very successfully in Russia for a long time. The oil giant has provided jobs for over 2,000 people in Russia.
Putin said he had been informed of plans to increase the manufacturing capacity of liquefied natural gas at Sakhalin-2. “The expansion of production of this valuable raw material will be necessary for both domestic consumption and for bigger exports to countries of the Asiatic-Pacific region,” he told Shell CEO Jeroen van der Veer at a meeting between the two.
Putin’s statement could mark the beginning of a change in relationships between Russia and foreign oil companies.
Russian airline KrasAir has been declared bankrupt by an East Siberian court of arbitration. Aircraft leasing company, Ilyushin Finance, had filed a bankruptcy petition against KrasAir, one of Russia’s largest airlines.
KrasAir had failed to pay back Ilyushin Finance the debt of 92 million roubles ($2.9 million) for the rental of three planes, and, hence, the latter filed charges at the Krasnoyarsk Territory’s court of arbitration.
Soon after the judgment, bankruptcy proceedings were initiated, KrasAir spokeswoman Lyudmila Ganzhurova said.
The case was filed by the leasing company almost a year ago, and hearings were repeatedly postponed.
KrasAir, part of the AirUnion alliance, closed down operations last October because of a liquidity crisis. With about 2,500 employees, the company’s wage arrears are estimated at 340 million roubles ($10 million). Regional officials said in late May that 60 million roubles ($2 million) in wage arrears had been paid into the bankrupt company’s account.
KrasAir was one of the leading airlines in Russia with its headquarters in Krasnoyarsk. It ran regional and international passenger services, freight transport, cargo handling, and charter services. It had to stop its flights in June 2008 after fuel suppliers denied further credit fuel to debtridden airlines.