Sakhalin Region Governor Ivan Malakhov is now in the United States discussing amendments to the operating program and budget of the U.S. Exxon Mobil-led energy project for 2006, as well as next year's program and budget.
"Differences have surfaced concerning the spending," the administration said.
Capital investment in the development of the Sakhalin I deposits has reached more than $12 billion, about $8 billion less than for Royal Dutch Shell-led Sakhalin II, a sister production-sharing agreement (PSA) project that has been plagued by problems in recent months.
But the consortium running the project, which apart from U.S. operator Exxon Neftegas Limited includes Russia's state-controlled Rosneft (20%), India's ONGC (20%), and Japan's Sodeco (30%), has upped investment to $17 billion. The figure has not been approved so far.
The consortium is developing the Arkutun-Dagi, Odoptu, and Chaivo deposits on the island's northeastern shelf, with recoverable reserves estimated at 2.3 billion barrels of oil and 484 billion cubic meters (17.1 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas.
Crude production was launched in October 2005 and reached around 44,100 barrels per day as of early 2006. Supplies to Asian Pacific countries began after a new onshore terminal in De-Kastri in the Khabarovsk Territory, the largest in Russia's Far East, was launched in October.
