The presidential administration has supported the involvement of the shelf of the Arctic private oil firms. According to some, at first, the access to resources can get LUKOIL, which already held exploration.

Lobbyist attract to the development of data resources non-state companies became the aide Andrei Belousov, who reported to Vladimir Putin about the treatment of the treatment of LUKOIL's about providing access to the Arctic shelf.

The message Belousov the idea of "knowingly supported", asking him to instruct the government to develop and submit proposals until may 1, says "Kommersant" citing a source. According to his statement, liberalization "in working order" has already been agreed with Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin, energy Minister Alexander Novak, and even the head of the Ministry of environment Sergey Donskoy.

The paper emphasizes that Vladimir Putin with the opinion of the assistant agreed. It is noted that the Director and principal owner of LUKOIL Vagit Alekperov met with a domestic leader in February. The President's press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the decision is still pending. "We do not disclose the course of the discussion," he said. The Board of LUKOIL explanations denied.

According to reliable information assistant to the President, on January 1, worked 137 licenses to develop the shelf, of which 49 - private firms. These licenses were issued before adopted in 2008 amendments to the law "On subsoil", according to which working offshore can only state-owned companies. The main lobbyist of change was then Deputy Prime Minister and now President of "Rosneft" Igor Sechin. LUKOIL all these years the amendments are actively condemned, and "Rosneft" not without incident divided the shelf with Gazprom.

Today, the oil company has the rights to study 48 offshore areas, monopoly - 40 plots. Together they control about 80% of the area of oil and gas. In all of this, taking into account the opinion Belousova, the pace and size of the exploration of the state-owned companies "cannot be taken satisfactory that lossdiet substantial danger to solve the problem of strengthening of oil and gas in the long term." Besides all this, to the best knowledge of the Ministry of natural resources, obligations Rosneft and Gazprom do not provide a sufficient level of knowledge areas".

That the situation may be improved with the help of private investors in the last 7 years many people have said, this is now approved and in the presidential administration. But, says Andrei Belousov, Russia needs to keep control of such investments, for which you should use "strict pre qualification". In addition, in his opinion, necessary to secure a preferential right to study parcel shelf behind the company, which led the exploration.

Remember that LUKOIL has long been working on the shelf, namely in the Caspian sea, although the development of the Arctic will require more resources. Taking into account the opinion of professionals, state-owned companies reduce rates result in penalties and low prices for oil, but the demand for Arctic oil in a couple of years and the industry significantly to prepare for this. Undeniably, the expert added that the same LUKOIL is more convenient for the investor than a solid foreign firms, because "it is absolutely logical to give him a chance at least in the future to go to the Arctic".
sections: Economics