Official website of the President of Russia

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends, I want first of all to thank the management and all of the staff of Rosneft.

Russia’s oil and gas sector is without question a driving force for the entire national economy, and Rosneft has established itself as a leader in this sector of such importance for us. It is a leader not just here in Russia, which is in itself welcome of course, but competes successfully with our partners and friends too, and last year became the world’s top producer of oil specifically, inching ahead just a little of our friends and competitors from ExxonMobil. ExxonMobil’s President is here with us today, so let’s wish him welcome, all the more so as we are developing excellent and indeed strategic cooperation with ExxonMobil.

As for the Tuapse Oil Refinery, it is a good example of development for Rosneft and the sector as a whole. This oil refinery has been around for a long time, it opened in 1929, and the technology it used was even older, dating back to 1927–28. It is very good to see that Rosneft is now investing serious funds in the refinery’s modernisation. 

Rosneft President Igor Sechin spoke just before about the production side of things, and the results are indeed impressive. I want to mention another aspect however, the environmental aspect. What is important is that Rosneft is investing not only in state of the art technological chains and equipment lines, including together with our foreign partners, but is investing in the environmental side of things too. 

The modernisation work will involve building completely new treatment facilities and reinforcing coastal protection so as to ensure that no harmful products make their way into the Tuapse River. The sanitary protection environmental zone around the refinery will be redeveloped.

This shows just how closely and attentively the Russian Government is monitoring the situation here. It means that the area will be able to continue playing its traditional role of health resort and holiday zone for our people. I want to thank all of you for this work. 

I congratulate you on this new stage in your work.