OREANDA-NEWS. On 24 March 2008 was announced, that the Ministry of Industry and Energy published a new procedure for scheduling exports of crude oil and its transit by the CIS members across the territory of the Russian Federation. The white paper is enacted by Order of the Minister V. Khristenko, No. 79 of February 07, 2008, which also cancels the former procedure enacted by Order No. 297 of August 02, 2007.

The white paper commissions the Oil and Gas Sector Department of the Ministry of Industry and Energy to "generate schedules for crude oil transportation beyond the customs territory of the Russian Federation for the four quarters of scheduling year at a time". It will collate Transneft's data on its throughput capacities, information on the plans of producing companies and their requests for export of crude oil out of Russia.

It is reported that schedules are supposed to be submitted to the Minister for approval 35 days before the start of scheduling year. The former procedure provided for quarterly export schedules to be generated. The department's brief now covers the organization of access for producers to main oil pipelines, as well as the generation of schedules for transit of crude oil out of the CIS members. The Head of Oil and Gas Department is vested with the right to "introduce changes into access [arrangements]", as well as to propose, on a quarterly basis, such changes as may be necessary to introduce into the schedules enacted.

When commenting on the new procedure, information agencies note that the planning of crude oil exports had been reformed at the suggestion of several oil majors. Now these will be in a position to make longer-term plans for their export activities.