Beijing and Moscow Agree to Widen Energy Ties
China and Russia agreed to step up energy cooperation, signing a series of deals that could bring large amounts of Russian oil and natural gas to China's fuel-thirsty economy for the first time.
During a visit to Beijing, President Vladimir Putin said Russia plans to build two pipelines to bring natural gas to China. Moscow also agreed to allow China National Petroleum Corp., known as CNPC, to jointly develop some of Russia's vast oil and gas reserves with Russian state companies.
CNPC, meanwhile, said it will set up a joint venture in China with Russia's state oil company, OAO Rosneft, to refine crude oil and sell gasoline and other products. CNPC officials also indicated their company might invest in Rosneft's $20 billion initial public offering, planned for later this year.
If implemented, the deals would be a "breakthrough for Sino-Russian oil and gas cooperation," said Keun-Wook Paik, a specialist on the issue at Chatham House in London.
China, one of the world's fastest-growing energy consumers, has for years sought more direct supplies from its northern neighbor, which is the world's largest gas producer and second-largest oil producer. But the bulk of Russia's export channels face westward, and Moscow has been slow to turn toward Asian markets. China gets no gas and only a small fraction of its oil supplies from Russia.
Before this week's visit by Mr. Putin, Chinese officials were uncharacteristically open about their frustration with the limited energy trade between the countries.
But in a joint declaration signed yesterday, Mr. Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao said energy cooperation "is entering a qualitatively new level." They also agreed to closer military cooperation and joint projects in telecommunications. Washington has been wary of the increasing ties between the former Cold War rivals, as China seeks new sources to meet its energy demands and Russia looks for new markets to sell its rich resources.
To be sure, Moscow and Beijing have signed ambitious-sounding energy agreements during numerous past summits, few of which led to concrete progress. The Kremlin, in particular, is uncomfortable about its fast-growing neighbor and concerned that closer economic ties could leave Moscow vulnerable to pressure.
Indeed, even as the two sides hailed deepened cooperation yesterday, Russian officials declined to specify when the first major oil pipeline project would go ahead. That link would carry Russian crude from Skovorodino on a planned line across eastern Siberia and south into China's Daqing oil center. In Beijing yesterday, Russian Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko said a feasibility study will have to be completed before any specific plans for the line can be set, news agencies reported.
Despite the uncertainties, the agreements signed yesterday were among the most specific to date.
In terms of gas, Mr. Putin said Russia aims to supply as many as 80 billion cubic meters a year to China in the future, equal to more than half the amount Russia now ships to Europe, its main export market.
To deliver that fuel, Russian gas monopoly OAO Gazprom would build two pipelines. The first 1,860-mile line would carry 30 billion to 40 billion cubic meters a year of gas from fields in western Siberia across China's western border with Russia. First shipments on that line could begin in 2011.
A later pipeline would link fields in eastern Siberia and Sakhalin to northeast China. Russian officials said that project could carry gas from the Kovykta field near Irkutsk, one that BP PLC's Russian venture has sought to develop.
The deals don't appear likely to directly affect Russia's existing pledges to supply oil and gas to Japan and the rest of the Asian market, although some Japanese officials have expressed concern that Chinese demand will be so great that there won't be enough Russian crude to fill a pipeline all the way to the Pacific coast.
To ensure supplies for the new lines, Gazprom said it agreed to consider joint exploration and development of gas fields within Russia.
In terms of oil, CNPC signed agreements with Rosneft to invest in exploration and oil development in Russia, as well as a joint venture to refine and distribute oil products in China. CNPC officials also indicated a willingness to participate in Rosneft's planned IPO. Russian officials have said that foreign strategic investors might be involved in that deal, which is expected to take place in the second half of the year.
《中俄联合声明》将深化两国能源合作
中国和俄罗斯同意深化能源合作，双方签署的一系列协议有望首次为能源紧缺的中国经济带来大量俄罗斯原油和天然气供应。
正在访问中国的俄罗斯总统普京(Vladimir Putin)表示，俄罗斯准备修建两条通往中国的天然气管道。莫斯科还同意中国石油天然气集团公司(China National Petroleum Corporation., 简称CNPC)与俄罗斯国有企业联合开发俄罗斯丰富的石油及天然气资源。
与此同时，CNPC表示将与俄罗斯的国有石油企业OAO Rosneft在华组建合资企业，开展炼油和汽油及其他成品油销售业务。CNPC管理人士还表示，Rosneft今年晚些时候进行200亿美元的首次公开募股(IPO)时，该公司可能参与认购其股票。
Chatham House驻伦敦的能源问题专家Keun-Wook Paik表示，这些协议如果得到执行，将意味著中俄在石油和天然气合作领域取得了突破性的进展。
作为全球能源需求增长最快经济体之一的中国近年来一直寻求从北部邻国俄罗斯直接获得更多的能源供应，因为俄罗斯既是全球最大的天然气生产国也是全球第二大石油生产国。但俄罗斯的出口主要面向欧洲市场，在向亚洲市场提供能源方面进展迟缓。迄今为止，中国未能从俄罗斯获得天然气供应，从俄罗斯进口的原油也仅占进口总量的很小一部分。
就在本周普京出访中国之前，中国官员异常直率地谈到了两国间能源贸易的不足之处。
普京和中国国家主席胡锦涛在周二签署的《中俄联合声明》中表示，两国的能源合作迈向了一个新的高度。两国还同意加强在军事及电信方面的合作。华盛顿一直对中俄关系的加强保持警惕。中国渴望获得新的能源供应以满足经济发展的需要，而俄罗斯则正在为其丰富的自然资源寻找新市场。
当然，莫斯科和北京在过去的两国首脑峰会上就曾签署过听起来雄心勃勃的能源合作协议，但实际上没有几项协议取得了实质性进展。主要原因是克里姆林宫对中国经济的高速增长心存疑虑，担心经贸联系的加强容易让莫斯科受制于北京的压力。
实际上，就在两国为能源合作的深化欢欣鼓舞之际，俄罗斯的官员也没能确定通往中国的第一条石油管道何时才能动工。俄罗斯将从东西伯利亚南部至太平洋西岸的主干线在斯科沃罗季诺(Skovorodino)分出一条支线管道，把原油输送至中国大庆。据新闻媒体报道，俄罗斯能源部长维克托?克里斯坚科(Viktor Khristenko)表示，在确定中国支线计划之前先要完成可行性研究。
尽管存在著不确定性，但两国周二签署的《联合声明》仍算得上是迄今为止中俄之间最明确的声明之一。
普京表示，俄罗斯今后向中国出口的年天然气运送量将达到800亿立方米，是目前向欧洲出口量的一半以上。目前，欧洲是俄罗斯天然气的主要出口市场。
为了实现这一目标，俄罗斯天然气垄断企业OAO Gazprom将建设两条输气管道。第一条管道长3,000公里，年输气量将达300亿-400亿立方米，连接西伯利亚西部和中国靠近俄罗斯的西部边境。预计这条线路将从2011年向中国供气。
第二条管道将把西部利亚东部和库页岛的天然气输往中国的东北地区。俄罗斯官员称，靠近伊尔库次克的Kovykta气田开发的天然气将途经这条线路，英国石油(BP PLC)在俄罗斯的合资企业正希望获得这个项目的开发权。
中俄最新签署的能源协议看来不大可能直接影响到俄罗斯对日本及其他亚洲国家的油气供应。此前，一些日本官员担心中国庞大的需求将吸干运往太平洋西岸的全部能源。
为了确保新线路有充足的能源供应，Gazprom表示同意考虑与中国企业联合勘探和开发俄罗斯境内的气田。
石油方面，CNPC与Rosneft签署了联合勘探和开发俄罗斯石油及共同提炼原油、分销成品油的协议。CNPC管理人士还表示，有兴趣参与Rosneft的IPO计划。俄罗斯官员表示，可能允许外国战略投资者参与此次认购，预计Rosneft将于今年下半年进行IPO。
去年，CNPC为未来的原油供应向Rosneft支付了60亿美元的预付款。这为刚刚收购了尤科斯石油公司(OAO Yukos)主要资产的Rosneft提供了重要的经济支援。
