Yury Trutnev's comments echo the words of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov who said Tuesday that annual oil production for the second phase of the East Siberia pipeline had to be increased to meet the target of 80 million metric tons.
"The current pace is unlikely to provide the required production of mineral resources, above all oil," Trutnev said.
The minister said the federal program for mineral development and replenishment until 2020 would have to be changed to increase funding for geological prospecting, including in a bid to raise production in East Siberia to 25 million metric tons (500,000 bbl/d).
Two Russian state-controlled crude producers, Rosneft and Surgutneftegaz, said Tuesday they would provide 27 million metric tons a year (542,219 bbl/d) to the Asia-bound pipeline from 2008 as operators of two East Siberian oil fields.
The first of the two stages of the pipeline came on stream last April and was originally to be completed by the second half of 2008. It is to link Taishet, in the Eastern Siberian region of Irkutsk, to Skovorodino, in the Amur Region.
The second stage includes a pipeline from Skovorodino to Kozmino on Russia's Pacific Coast to pump 1 million bbl/d, and an increase in the Taishet-Skovorodino pipeline's capacity to 1.6 million bbl/d.
The construction of the end terminal in Kozmino Bay will begin in April, and the first oil deliveries will start 11 months later.
Russia expects to take 6-6.5% of the Asian crude market once the East Siberia-Pacific pipeline comes on stream.
