MINSK, 6 September (BelTA) – Belarus may be able to increase oil extraction up to 3-3.5 million tonnes per annum by developing new oil deposits in the years to come. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the relevant statement as he heard out a report from Director General of the industrial group Belorusneft Aleksandr Lyakhov on 6 September, BelTA has learned. Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova was also present during the meeting.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “I am deeply interested in and concerned about the problem of the Pripyat Trough. I have a gut feeling there is oil over there that we don't see yet.”
He went on saying: “You've studied this problem. If you suggest something, I am ready to be directly involved in it. But in a way to increase oil extraction up to at least 3-3.5 million tonnes per annum [about 1.6 million tonnes per annum at present] in your lifetime and mine. It is a solution of the problem for the country. We will forget about any dependence. And if we build another nuclear power plant, the country will have everything it needs. Especially energy. Although we have yet to consume the energy of this nuclear power plant. But future belongs to electric vehicles.”
The Belorusneft director general said that for the last four years the company has been increasing oil extraction in Belarus' territory by 20,000 tonnes. “We once reached a plateau of 1,640,000 tonnes five years ago. This year we intend to extract at least 1,730,000 tonnes. We intend to keep increasing oil extraction in Belarus like this for the next few years,” the executive said.
According to Aleksandr Lyakhov, the oil extraction increase rate depends on a number of factors. “Such as the success of geological exploration work in the traditional zone in the northern trough – Rechitsa, Svetlogorsk, Oktyabrsky. In the last ten years we started working in the area of Khoiniki District. We've been discovering virtually 2-3 oil fields around Khoiniki every year for the last few years. Oil extraction in the area has virtually reached 70,000 tonnes. We are trying to secure the levels we've reached,” he said.
