Russian Agency for Mineral Development: Russia's Shale Oil Reserves Exceed Those of the United States
¬ "Atom" Electric Vehicle Manufacturer in Russia Discusses Plans for New Model Launch
According to Kirill Kazanov, Head of the Russian Federal Agency for Mineral Development, interviewed by Sputnik News Agency, Russia's shale oil reserves exceed those of the United States, although currently extracting conventional oil remains more advantageous for Russia.
Kazanov stated: "The United States has approximately 11 billion tons of shale oil reserves. Our conservative estimate is around 30 billion tons—meaning our reserves far surpass those of the U.S."
However, Kazanov pointed out a significant difference between Russia and the U.S. in this regard. In the U.S., shale oil is extracted due to a lack of other energy sources and abundant available capital.
He said: "Russia faces a different situation: we do not have an abundance of free capital, but we possess vast quantities of oil that can be extracted at low cost and are directly comparable to shale oil."
Kazanov emphasized that despite this, work on developing shale oil extraction is underway. Currently, 18 technical site exploration licenses have been issued to companies for technologies aimed at exploiting difficult-to-reach resources.
Kazanov concluded: "Large companies are participating in these projects—for example, Gazprom Neft and Rosneft, as well as a range of smaller firms. These companies are investing in promising projects, and it is likely that in the future, shale oil production in Russia will reach new levels."
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Igor Povarazhnyuk, General Manager of Russian IT company and EV developer Kama, told Sputnik News Agency that the company is currently discussing plans to launch a second model under the "Atom" brand of electric vehicles.
Last week, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Alekhanov expressed hope that the second model of the Atom car would not keep customers waiting too long.
When asked about the timeline for launching the new model, Povarazhnyuk said, "At this stage, it is still only under discussion."
He added that the first batch of mass-produced Atom cars has already been manufactured and is being shipped to car-sharing service providers in Moscow, with deliveries to individual consumers set to begin in summer 2026. Currently, production volume per shift is just a few units, but monthly output is expected to double within the year.
Kama Company had previously stated in early July 2025 that the localization level of the Atom car at launch would reach 65–70%.
In September last year, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Alekhanov said that Atom car production would reach between 5,000 and 6,000 units in 2026.
Source: sputniknews
Original: toutiao.com/article/1867566157528076/
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