The Vankor oil field was opened in 1988. A Rosneft subsidiary, Vankorneft, has been developing it under a 2003 license. Rosneft expects to begin production at the field in December 2008.
Vankor oil will be pumped via a 550km (341 mile) pipeline currently under construction. The Vankor-Purpe pipeline will have a capacity of 20 million metric tons and will be connected to the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline.
The deputy prime minister, who is also the chairman of Rosneft's board, said the government was considering the proposal of independent oil producers to establish an independent oil refinery in the country.
"The construction of an independent oil refinery for supplies to the domestic market is being considered," Sechin said.
Sechin also said that independent gas producers would be producing 215 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year by 2015.
