Coal, gas, power industry:
Yakutia exposes its plans

The biggest investment project is the exploration of Elga coalfield. Its coal (coking and thermal) stock suitable for surface mining is estimated at more than 2 billion tons, said Alexei Golubenko, republic's deputy minister of industry at the Far East Economic Forum.

Even without Elga republic's coal production will double by 2015. The Republic Ministry of Industry presumes Yakutia is able to expand the production of high-quality coking and thermal coal to 30-50 million tons.

Nevertheless, the development of regional coal industry has obstacles. The abundance of thermal coal in Far-Eastern and Siberian market, the absence of railway transfer to China , and the limited capacity of coal terminal of Far-Eastern seaports appear to be real constraints, said Mr. Golubenko.

Republic coal export doesn't depend on mining capability but more on processing capacity of seaports and roads. The situation can be resolved in interregional cooperation only.

Mr. Golubenko touched upon the perspectives of natural gas industry development in Yakutia. Republic's government relates the further step of development to the exploration of the Chayanda field with confirmed stock at 1.2 trillion cubic meters. Yakutian authority pin hopes also on the Russian Ministry of Industry's Far-Eastern & Siberian Natural Gas Mining, Processing and Supply United System Development Program that considers export to Asian-Pacific regions as well. The above mention project is in development.

Yakutia proposes to export natural gas from Kovytinsky and Chayanda fields by pipeline through Amursk Oblast, the Jewish Autonomous Region, Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories. If this scheme will get approval, Yakutia, by the most conservative estimate, may supply gas at 30-35 billion cubic meters annually during 50 years.

While confused decision-making happens in formation of oil & gas mining and transportation infrastructure, casing-head gas utilization remains as a problem. For instance, when Talakan's annual oil production will reach 4 million tons, the volume of casing-head gas may exceed 500 cubic meters .

Integration of Northeastern Siberian and Far-Eastern power supply systems are in process. The goal is to create electric coupling between European and Eastern power systems.

The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) initiated the creation of South Yakutian hydropower complex based on water resources of the Aldan river with its tributaries and the Olekma river. The project envisages 7 hydroelectric power stations with total productive capacity at 9600 megawatts and their average annual energy generation at 40 billion kilowatt-hours. The project requires about $8.2 billion. The first hydraulic unit is supposed to be launched till 2013.

Written by Yana Baigozhaeva,
Translated by YakutiaToday.com
Resource: Yakutia Sakha News Agency