Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law "On Amendments to the Law of the Russian Federation "On Subsoil". This is reported on the Kremlin's website.
In accordance with the law, the law allows subsoil plots of local importance to be provided for use without auctions to natural monopoly entities in the field of transportation of gas, oil and petroleum products through main pipelines for exploration and production of common minerals necessary for the purpose of construction, reconstruction, overhaul of main gas pipelines, oil pipelines, oil product pipelines and their integral technological parts.
The law also establishes the grounds for the subjects of a natural monopoly in the field of transportation of gas, oil and petroleum products through main pipelines to have the right to use these subsurface areas, the terms of use of them, and other features of the use of subsurface resources for these purposes.
