MOSCOW is inviting Philippine companies to jointly explore with Russian firms oil and gas resources in the Russian soil, its envoy said Saturday.
During the “In Focus” news forum in Quezon City, Russian ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev said his country has a “unique offer for the Philippines.”
“We also invite Filipinos, the Philippine companies, to explore oil and gas in Russia together with Russian companies,” Khovaev said.
Russia’s state-owned Rosneft Oil Co. has earlier announced plans to develop a cluster of oil fields in the Arctic to produce up to 100 million tons of oil.
“I would like to remind you that exploration of oil and gas in Russia is not an easy matter, it’s much more difficult than the exploration of oil and gas in, for example, in the Middle East because most of Russian oil and natural gas are produced in the Arctic under harsh climate conditions,” Khovaev said, noting that Moscow has “advanced technologies” to exploit resources in the cold region.
President Rodrigo Duterte has asked Rosneft to invest in the Philippines during a courtesy call led by Igor Sechin, the company’s chief executive officer, in Moscow early this month.
The Russian envoy said Moscow’s invitation for Philippine companies to explore resources in Russia is “based on mutual respect, mutual interest.”
“Because we believe it should be two-way…If Russian companies come to the Philippines to explore oil and gas here then it’s quite natural for us Russians to invite the Philippine
[companies]
to go to Russia and to cooperate with Russian companies on the
[exploration]
in Russian soil,” Khovaev said.
Asked how many Philippine companies Russia has invited, he said that “it’s too early to disclose details but all necessary efforts are being taken now.”
“We are working closely with the Department of Energy and some Philippine companies,” he said.
“These offers are now under consideration. No details yet. But these Russian offers is on the table,” he said. (GMA News)
