Companies to Ponder Quality of Oil for Espo Pipeline – Source

MOSCOW. June 6 (Interfax) – Oil pipeline operator Transneft and oil companies Rosneft (RTS: ROSN), Surgutneftegaz and TNK (RTS: TNKO)-BP have been commissioned to come up with conclusions on the quality of oil to be poured into the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) oil pipeline, a government source said.

The four companies received the task at a conference held late last month and chaired by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin.

ESPO, which is still being laid, will export Russian oil to the Asia-Pacific Region.

Another result of the conference was a decision to analyze expenditure for laying the first section of the pipeline and take measures to prevent the cost of the project from rising, he said.

Transneft and the Energy Ministry have also been commissioned to make a rough plan of how much oil is to be initially poured into ESPO, the source said.

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