Media: Japanese participants discuss the situation on Sakhalin-1

TOKYO, Oct 8 – PRIME. The Japanese participants of Sakhalin-1 are discussing the situation with the government and partners and will take appropriate action, NHK reports, citing Itochu and Marubeni Corporation.

“We are clarifying the merits of the case and will take appropriate steps in cooperation with the government and other partners,” Itochu said.

“As the owner of only a part of SODECO shares, we cannot give direct answers, but Sakhalin-1 is an important project in terms of Japan’s energy security. We are closely monitoring the situation and, after agreeing with stakeholders, we will act accordingly,” Marubeni said. Corporation.

Earlier it was reported that officials of the Ministry of Economy of Japan consider Sakhalin-1 an important source of energy supplies outside the Middle East, as well as from the point of view of ensuring the country’s energy security.

According to last year’s data, Russian supplies account for 3.6% of oil imported to Japan. Now Japan, like other G7 countries, has imposed a ban on the import of Russian oil and there is no import of oil from Sakhalin-1 to Japan.

Putin, by his decree on Friday, ordered the government to create a new Russian operator of the Sakhalin-1 project, which will take over the rights and obligations of Exxon Neftegaz limited.

The new operator of the Sakhalin-1 project will be managed by the Rosneft structure Sakhalinmorneftegaz-Shelf, at least until all the shares in the operator are distributed, after which the authority of the structure can be extended, follows from the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Foreign companies must inform Russia within a month whether they intend to continue participating in the project with a new operator.

The current operator of the Sakhalin-1 project, Exxon Neftegaz Limited (a subsidiary of ExxonMobil), owns a 30% stake in it. In March, the company announced its intention to withdraw from the project, and in April, the introduction of a force majeure regime, as a result of which the project was almost stopped. At the moment, gas and oil production is completely stopped. Also shareholders of Sakhalin 1 are Rosneft (20%), Indian ONGC (20%) and Japanese Sodeco (30%). Sodeco itself is 50% owned by the Japanese government.