A visit to Sabetta

With his visit to the Yamal Peninsula, the Russian Orthodox church leader completes his comprehensive tour in the Russian Arctic. Over the last three months, the church leader has visited key sites over the whole Russian north, from the Kola Peninsula in the west to Pevek and Anadyr in the east.

In the group which this weekend followed Patriarch Kirill around the industrial facilities of the Yamal LNG plant and nearby Sabetta port, were Novatek leader Leonid Mikhelson and Gennady Timchenko, as well as project manager Yevgeny Kot, regional Governor Dmitry Kobylkin and Head of the Ural Federal District Igor Kholmanskikh, a press relase from the Russian Orthodox Church reads.

«I would like to thank Leonid Viktorievich [Mikhelson] and Gennady Vikolaevich [Timchenko], and all the ones who work here», the Patriarch underlined in an address. «Must God help you complete  the work you have started, let you see the fruits of your labour, and let the whole country know that Sabetta - this is a great event in its newer history».

The Sabetta port is built on the northwestern shore of the Yamal Peninsula. It will serve the Yamal LNG plant, which will produce an annual of 16,5 million tons of liquefied natural gas. Production is du to start in 2017.

The LNG project is operated by Novatek in partnership with Total, CNPC and the Silk Road Foundation.

About 20,000 people now reside in Sabetta.