Belarus is willing to extend cooperation with Tatarstan in the oil sector
Tatneft can collaborate with Belorusneft to get mutual benefits, considers Alexander Lukashenko. The Tatar oil company can use the partnership to get access to external markets. Now the company runs a petrol station network in Belarus and intends to expand it.
Alexander Lukashenko suggested Belorusneft as a partner for Tatneft, reports The Belarusian Telegraph Agency. The Tatarstan's oil company already has a network of 17 gas stations across Belarus and plans to build another four stations. However, Belarusian President believes that the cooperation can be extended: 'We have a bigger potential. We can agree on more active involvement of your company in the cooperation and implementation of projects in Belarus. This pertains to oil processing, sale of oil products, the work outside Belarus.' Lukashenko invited Tatneft to cooperate with Belarusian oil refineries in the supply of oil products to the external markets. He claimed that the partnership would bring mutual benefits and promised low prices and 'acceptable terms'.
The issue was discussed at the meeting of the head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on 18 October. The meeting was a part of Minnikhanov's working visit to Minsk, Belarus. As a result of the visit, Belarusian Prime Minister Andrey Kobyakov and Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov signed a detailed action plan to develop cooperation in 2017-2020. Tatarstan is one of the top ten partners for Belarus among all Russian regions. The cooperation covers industry, construction, innovation and other sectors.
Rustam Minnikhanov thanked Alexander Lukashenko for his interest and offered a possible decision: 'We know that your oil-industry workers are excellent specialists and offer competitive prices for their services. We will give a corresponding instruction and will involve Belarusian colleagues in service maintenance.'
He also suggested considering the petrochemical sector as an area for collaboration. 'Today we should be focused on advancing integration. Perhaps, there can be petrochemical projects. We are interested in the development of the petrochemical industry. Moreover, Tatneft produces tires. We get tire components from Belarus. We need deeper mutual integration here,' said Minnikhanov.
Belarus' own oil production provides less than a third of the country's consumption. The output is falling, as well as oil deposits. Belarus also possesses a large but undeveloped oil shale estimated at 5-11bn tonnes. The shale characteristics (high ash and sulphur content, low consumption heat and significant depth of seams) make its extraction and processing rather costly. Even so, Belarus has resumed shale development as a part of its energy security after а deterioration of relationship with Russia in 2010.