Neft Rossii
Russian offshore projects slow down
A slowdown in offshore oil and gas prospecting in Russia may lead to a significant drop in production in the future.
On May 21, 2010, the 7th international conference Offshore Upstream Development in Russia and CIS took place in Moscow's Hotel Baltschug Kempinski. This year's event was focused on state policy with regard to offshore subsoil use, international cooperation in the offshore oil and gas exploration projects, and offshore projects in the south, Arctic and Far East seas.
Denis Khramov, head of the Natural Resources Ministry's department for state policy and regulations in mining and geology, told the participants about the main trends in offshore projects.
According to the ministry's figures, the Kara Sea holds the largest estimated hydrocarbon resources accounting for 37.4% of Russia's offshore riches, followed by the Barents Sea with 30.7% and the Sea of Okhotsk with 8.9%. However, the Barents Sea tops the discovered reserves list with 4.663 trillion cu m of natural gas and 415 million metric tons of oil; 3.889 trillion cu m of gas and about 15 million tons of oil have been discovered in the Kara Sea; 1.191 trillion cu m and 411 million tons, respectively, in the Sea of Okhotsk; and 768 billion cu m and 367 million tons in the Caspian Sea.
Russia's offshore resources total 10.54 trillion cu m of gas (including 2.916 trillion cu m in the undistributed mineral licenses fund) and 1.216 billion tons of oil (50 million tons). In Khramov's words, Russia is several steps behind the leading oil nations in terms of offshore exploration.
In 2005-2008, companies invested 30 billion rubles in offshore geological exploration, and the government, 1.2 billion rubles, according to the ministry. "Further prospecting and evaluation of offshore resources is up to subsoil users," Khramov said.
The Natural Resources Ministry has been long criticizing state companies for insufficiently developing intensive offshore hydrocarbons. At this pace, Russian oil and gas companies will need 150 years to meet the current government program targets.
"The work underway in offshore areas is not intensive enough. If it does not pick up speed, if more investment is not made now, Russia might not be able to use its natural advantages 10-15 years from now," Khramov said. Companies must begin offshore projects as soon as possible, because it takes at least 25 years to develop an offshore field, he added.
Rossiiskaya Gazeta - Nedelya
Russia set to overhaul its air fleet
The world is set to overhaul its air fleet in the near future, and Russia will be no exception.
Airplanes will become more comfortable and reliable, with passengers and air carriers choosing any model they like. Apart from huge Airbus-class planes capable of flying across the Atlantic Ocean nonstop, new regional airliners will appear on the market.
Air taxis, including VIP taxis, will become commonplace.
Already today Russia has Airbus and Boeing planes flying over its air space, as well as some obsolete Tupolev airliners.
Although Russian aircraft are still outnumbered, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), an umbrella company that designs and manufactures military, civilian, transport, and unmanned planes, has started implementing an ambitious program to revive the national aircraft industry.
Airliners that meet all international safety, environmental and fuel efficiency standards, including the Ilyushin Il-96-300, the Tupolev Tu-204, the Tu-204-SM and the Antonov An-148, are currently being manufactured, and the Irkut MS-21 medium-haul airliner is in the development stage. Flight testing for the regional Sukhoi Superjet 100 is fully underway.
Air carriers will soon be able to choose between foreign and Russian-made planes, probably preferring the latter because of their specifications and performance. Different types of planes fly along the same routes, making it possible to choose the most comfortable or affordable airliner.
Some billionaires, including Roman Abramovich, Rustam Tariko, Suleiman Kerimov and Andrei Skoch, no longer bother with air tickets preferring to buy real flying palaces, such as converted Boeing and Airbus jumbo jets. Their interiors probably cost more than the planes themselves.
Most top Russian businessmen follow the example of U.S. and European CEOs, prioritizing work rather than luxury. They own extremely comfortable Bombardier, Gulfstream Aerospace, Falcon and Embraer executive jets, which are, in fact, flying offices.
In all, Russians currently own 500 private passenger planes.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta
Russian Church launches crusade against the West
Russian Patriarch Kirill and Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) have expressed their views on the "liberal trends" in some Protestant churches. They spoke before the Wednesday meeting of the Standing Committee on Consensus and Cooperation of the World Council of Churches (WCC).
On Tuesday, Patriarch Kirill said at a meeting with WCC General Secretary Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit that Christianity in Europe "needs the joint efforts of Christians to protect it from the secular forces trying to force anti-Christian and, in general, anti-religious sentiments on the world."
Metropolitan Hilarion, who chairs the Patriarchy's Department of External Church Relations, spoke several days ago about the anti-Christian phobia in the West and the need to resist "intolerance towards Christians and discrimination against them."
He expressed support for the Catholics' attempts to contest the November 3, 2009 decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the Lautsi v. Italy case, according to which crucifixes must be removed from classrooms in Italian state schools. Public debates began on Wednesday.
Metropolitan Hilarion said he was expressing the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church, which "supports Italy, Russia and several other countries that are protesting the court's decision".
At the same time, he criticized the "liberalism" of Protestants in the West and cited Patriarch Kirill as saying that the Russian "fighters for worldwide Christianity" welcome the position of the Catholic Church on that issue.
The Vatican has long been planning a "new evangelization" of Europe. In 2000, Cardinal Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI, spoke about "an alarming de-Christianization" of the West and called for "a new evangelization that would break through into a world closed to classical evangelization".
On June 28, 2010, the Pope announced the establishment of a new Pontifical Council for the promotion of new evangelization in countries "where the first proclamation of the faith already resounded" but are now "going through a progressive secularization of society and a sort of eclipse of the sense of God".
Given the Pope's personal stance, the new council will promote not just any form of Christianity but conservative Catholicism. It will also focus on Eastern Europe, where the Vatican will try to regain the positions it lost over the past centuries.
However, few people in Russia are pondering these unpleasant possibilities now that the press is shouting about the de-Christianization of the West.
RBC Daily
Brain inflow
Sustainable economic growth requires trained professionals, and investment in educational projects is becoming a national and business priority. This will be discussed today at the conference "Personnel for Economic Modernization." Training Russian employees is cheaper than inviting professionals from abroad, but outside help is essential, Ivan Fedotov, deputy rector of the Academy of National Economy under the Russian government, said in an interview with RBC TV.
A return of highly qualified personnel to the economy is a matter of time and money. A new generation with world educational standards will take time to raise. This year, education is to be allocated 416 billion rubles, or just over 4% of budget spending.
Dmitry Grishankov, general director of Expert RA rating agency, believes this is the threshold below which no results are possible. "Unless we reform the education system and, more generally, the training of personnel, we will get nowhere," he said.
Large companies that are ready to spend tens of millions of rubles on training personnel for themselves can change the situation. The government also promises tax breaks for those who develop and apply new technologies. But for the time being the companies are not paying for intellectual output but what they can afford financially: the average salary of a rank-and-file staff member of an innovation company is a thousand euros (in Europe it is seven times higher).
Ivan Fedotov believes that the current era of unprofessionalism is nearly over because everybody realizes that there will be no more easy money.
"Russia has to look to the West for personnel," Fedotov said. "But highly trained foreign professionals account for less than 2% of the Russian market. Foreign capital is also likely to try to 'skim the cream': the United States says it is interested in establishing a branch of the Skolkovo science city on its own turf".
Hundreds of thousands of Russians have left and continue to leave to take up jobs abroad. As in the past, degrees from the leading Russian technological institutes are rated highly in the West. Cost optimization suggests the following formula: focus on quality, not numbers. Opt for fewer staff but a higher level of education. This is especially pertinent since the president is forecasting a sharp decline in the working-age population in the next 20 years in Russia. Young specialists will have to feed those who are working now and will retire in the coming decades.
Vedomosti
Putin offers AvtoVAZ-Renault swap
Renault can increase its stake in Russian automaker AvtoVAZ if it wishes, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. Russia is even willing to swap some shares owned by Russian shareholders for Renault shares belonging to the French government.
Recently, the Russian government discussed the issue with its French partners. Russia is not pushing Renault or insisting on this option, but expects the French company, which owns 25% of AvtoVAZ, to go further and help the Russian automaker build new cars on Renault platforms, the prime minister said.
Swapping AvtoVAZ shares for 2-3% of Renault has been discussed, a source at Russian Technologies confirmed to Interfax. According to the source, discussions are only beginning, and no official proposal has yet been made to the French government.
However, the chances for striking a deal are limited: the French government is showing little interest, the source told the agency.
Under a November 2009 memorandum, Renault's stake may not fall below 25%. But the French auto manufacturer's holding can grow as AvtoVAZ debt is converted into shares and Renault investments in the company, says Russian Technologies General Director Sergei Chemezov.
Renault is satisfied with its holding in AvtoVAZ, said a spokesman for the company, declining further comment. Mr. Putin's spokesman had no comment.
This is not the first time the Russian government has made this offer to Renault. In early November, 2009, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said the government was prepared to consider a Renault ownership increase in AvtoVAZ. Christian Esteve, Renault's senior vice-president responsible for the group's Russian operation, said Renault was aware of the proposal. But Renault spokesmen have repeatedly said they are not yet planning to increase their stake in the Russian automaker.
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