Nonetheless, Russia has used Chernomorneftegaz’s pre-existing assets to supply
gas to Crimea: in 2015, 49.1% of the 1.8 billion cubic meters of gas produced by
Crimea came from the Odessa gas field, extracted by the company’s four rigs there,
and 40.1% from the Shtormove field further east.
189 Moreover, since the annexation,
Russia has increased the field’s capacity.
190 Gas production in the Black Sea
constitutes about 81% of Crimea’s total gas consumption,
191 such that these
resources constitute a vital part of Crimea’s total energy use.
4.2.2 Recent Developments: Ceasing Breach in the Odessa Gas Field
In February 2018, RBK Group reported, on the basis of sources close to Russia’s
Ministry of Energy and Crimea’s Ministry of Fuel and Energy, that Russia would
cease operations in the Odessa gas field.
192 This was widely re-reported in Russian
and Ukrainian media,
193 and was later confirmed by the Russian Minister of Energy,
who explained that the final decision would depend on the ‘legal bases’ of Ukraine’s
claim.
194 These reports were consistent with the projected operations of
Chernomorneftegaz. In 2017, both Eurasia Daily and RBK Group reported that an
internal order from the company’s General Director noted that operations in Odessa
field would cease on 1 July 2018.
195 Moreover, a 2017 forecast by the Crimean
Ministry for Economic Development considered closing of operations in the Odessa
189 Ministry of Fuel and Energy of the Republic of Crimea, Attachment to Ministerial Decree
No. 170 of 26 April 2016, p. 4. For the relative positioning of the fields, see ‘Kiev taking Moscow
to court: Who will get Black Sea gas?’ Eurasia Daily (online), 1 September 2016: https://eadaily.
com/en/news/2016/09/01/kiev-taking-moscow-to-court-who-will-get-black-sea-gas;
Kurovets
et al. (2011).
190 ‘Rossija ukrala bolee 3,5 mlrd ukbometrov ukrainsogo gaza’, supra note 186.
191 Ministry of Fuel and Energy of the Republic of Crimea, Attachment to Ministerial Decree No
658 of 5 December 2017, p. 6; ‘Ob’jom dobychi prirodnogo gaza v Krymu snizhaetsja — ministr
topliva i jenergetiki RK’ Krymskoe informacionnoe agentstvo (online), 29 December 2017: https://
kianews24.ru/news/obyom-dobichi-prirodnogo-gaza-v-krimu-s/.
192 Ivan Tkachev, Alina Fadeeva and Lyudmila Podobedova, ‘Mezhdu Krymom i Odessoj:
pochemu Rossija sokrashhaet dobychu gaza v Chernom’ RBK Group (online), 15 February 2018:
https://www.rbc.ru/economics/15/02/2018/5a82d1899a794706e604a6d0.
193 See, e.g., ‘Rossija ostanovit dobychu gaza v Krymu iz-za suda s Ukrainoj – SMI’ Dengi.ua
(online), 15 February 2018: http://dengi.ua/business/302155-Rossiya-ostanovit-dobichy-gaza-vKrimy-iz-za-syda-s-Ykrainoi-SMI; ‘RBK uznal o vozmozhnoj zamorozke krupnejshego gazovogo
mestorozhdenija na shel'fe Kryma’ Vedomosti (online), 15 February 2018: https://www.vedomosti.
ru/business/news/2018/02/15/751047-zamorozke-mestorozhdeniya-krima.
194 Alexander Sukov, ‘Sam ne gam. Pochemu Rossija brosaet dobychu gaza na shel'fe Kryma’
Delovaja stolica (online), 1 March 2018: http://www.dsnews.ua/economics/sam-ne-gam-rossiyamozhet-svernut-dobychu-gaza-na-shelfe-28022018220000.
195 Tkachev, Fadeeva and Podobedova, ‘Mezhdu Krymom i Odessoj’, supra note 192; ‘Krym
nachnet otkazyvat'sja ot sobstvennogo gaza v sledujushhem godu’ Eurasia Daily (online),
30 November 2017: https://eadaily.com/ru/news/2017/11/30/krym-nachnet-otkazyvatsya-otsobstvennogo-gaza-v-sleduyushchem-godu.
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gas to Crimea: in 2015, 49.1% of the 1.8 billion cubic meters of gas produced by
Crimea came from the Odessa gas field, extracted by the company’s four rigs there,
and 40.1% from the Shtormove field further east.
189 Moreover, since the annexation,
Russia has increased the field’s capacity.
190 Gas production in the Black Sea
constitutes about 81% of Crimea’s total gas consumption,
191 such that these
resources constitute a vital part of Crimea’s total energy use.
4.2.2 Recent Developments: Ceasing Breach in the Odessa Gas Field
In February 2018, RBK Group reported, on the basis of sources close to Russia’s
Ministry of Energy and Crimea’s Ministry of Fuel and Energy, that Russia would
cease operations in the Odessa gas field.
192 This was widely re-reported in Russian
and Ukrainian media,
193 and was later confirmed by the Russian Minister of Energy,
who explained that the final decision would depend on the ‘legal bases’ of Ukraine’s
claim.
194 These reports were consistent with the projected operations of
Chernomorneftegaz. In 2017, both Eurasia Daily and RBK Group reported that an
internal order from the company’s General Director noted that operations in Odessa
field would cease on 1 July 2018.
195 Moreover, a 2017 forecast by the Crimean
Ministry for Economic Development considered closing of operations in the Odessa
189 Ministry of Fuel and Energy of the Republic of Crimea, Attachment to Ministerial Decree
No. 170 of 26 April 2016, p. 4. For the relative positioning of the fields, see ‘Kiev taking Moscow
to court: Who will get Black Sea gas?’ Eurasia Daily (online), 1 September 2016: https://eadaily.
com/en/news/2016/09/01/kiev-taking-moscow-to-court-who-will-get-black-sea-gas;
Kurovets
et al. (2011).
190 ‘Rossija ukrala bolee 3,5 mlrd ukbometrov ukrainsogo gaza’, supra note 186.
191 Ministry of Fuel and Energy of the Republic of Crimea, Attachment to Ministerial Decree No
658 of 5 December 2017, p. 6; ‘Ob’jom dobychi prirodnogo gaza v Krymu snizhaetsja — ministr
topliva i jenergetiki RK’ Krymskoe informacionnoe agentstvo (online), 29 December 2017: https://
kianews24.ru/news/obyom-dobichi-prirodnogo-gaza-v-krimu-s/.
192 Ivan Tkachev, Alina Fadeeva and Lyudmila Podobedova, ‘Mezhdu Krymom i Odessoj:
pochemu Rossija sokrashhaet dobychu gaza v Chernom’ RBK Group (online), 15 February 2018:
https://www.rbc.ru/economics/15/02/2018/5a82d1899a794706e604a6d0.
193 See, e.g., ‘Rossija ostanovit dobychu gaza v Krymu iz-za suda s Ukrainoj – SMI’ Dengi.ua
(online), 15 February 2018: http://dengi.ua/business/302155-Rossiya-ostanovit-dobichy-gaza-vKrimy-iz-za-syda-s-Ykrainoi-SMI; ‘RBK uznal o vozmozhnoj zamorozke krupnejshego gazovogo
mestorozhdenija na shel'fe Kryma’ Vedomosti (online), 15 February 2018: https://www.vedomosti.
ru/business/news/2018/02/15/751047-zamorozke-mestorozhdeniya-krima.
194 Alexander Sukov, ‘Sam ne gam. Pochemu Rossija brosaet dobychu gaza na shel'fe Kryma’
Delovaja stolica (online), 1 March 2018: http://www.dsnews.ua/economics/sam-ne-gam-rossiyamozhet-svernut-dobychu-gaza-na-shelfe-28022018220000.
195 Tkachev, Fadeeva and Podobedova, ‘Mezhdu Krymom i Odessoj’, supra note 192; ‘Krym
nachnet otkazyvat'sja ot sobstvennogo gaza v sledujushhem godu’ Eurasia Daily (online),
30 November 2017: https://eadaily.com/ru/news/2017/11/30/krym-nachnet-otkazyvatsya-otsobstvennogo-gaza-v-sleduyushchem-godu.
16 Implementing the Law of the Sea: Russia and Arbitrations Under Annex VII to. . .
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