Recently Asked Questions Where is Sakhalin Island? Sakhalin is an island north of Japan, east of mainland Russia. Who is Sakhalin Energy? What is Shell Oil's relationship to Sakhalin Energy? Sakhalin Energy is the operator of the Sakhalin II project. Shell Oil holds the majority of stock in Sakhalin Energy, and so Sakhalin Energy has the position of a Shell subsidiary company. Are the whales dying off because of other things besides Sakhalin II? It is not known exactly why the whales are not producing young (and in particular female offspring) that survive to maturity, but the development of Sakhalin II has been shown to have a significant, negative impact on their population. Sakhalin II is certainly not the only thing affecting the whale's ability to recover its numbers-- numbers which we do not know because of a lack of data. It is possible that this population of whale has always been small. It is nonetheless worthy of protection, and the greatest known threat to its survival is Sakhalin II. Can't the Sakhalin II project be built without harming the whales? No. Are Russians opposed to this project, or just foreign environmentalists? Russians are opposed as well as non-Russians. Shell is a big, profitable oil company, and this is a profitable-looking project. Why are they going to taxpayer money coffers like the US Ex-Im Bank to fund this project? They want risk protection.
Isn't it the job of the Russian government to protect the environment on Sakhalin? Why not lobby Russian officials instead of Shell and the banks that are financing this? The Russian government is already under pressure by Russian environmentalists, and some Russian officials are now taking public stands against Sakhalin II. Some NGO demands have been met by Shell. Hasn't Shell improved the project enough already? Why continue to attack their reputation? The improvements made so far by Shell have been half-measures that do not adequately ensure the protection of the environment. What is the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline? The Siberia-Pacific Pipeline goes by a few names, including VSTO ("Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean"), Transneft, and Taishet - Perevoznaya. If built, it would be about 2,565 miles (4,130 kilometers) long and cost more than USD $15 billion. More than three times longer than the Alaska pipeline, it is surrounded by controversy.
This is one in a series of pipelines planned to export resources out of the fragile Baikal region to East Asia. Previously, a BP gas pipeline was planned to go south of Lake Baikal (from Kovykta) through the Tunka Valley -- and its National Park -- to China. While this was still in development, a Yukos oil pipeline was planned to go the same route, and was stopped by environmental activists. In 2002, a plan for another pipeline, this one by Transneft and going north of Lake Baikal, failed to pass a state environmental impact assessment because it was too close to the lake; Transneft moved it further north, to a safer distance from the lake, but into a high seismic zone. On New Year's Eve 2005, Russia's government made a new commitment to an oil pipeline to Japan (rather than China). The Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) a Japanese export credit agency - has shown interest in backing this pipeline. Now, Transneft claims that it will fund the project itself. Construction of a rail station, possibly to be followed by an oil export terminal, began in the winter of 2004-2005 in pristine Perevoznaya Bay on the Sea of Japan.
When will the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline be built? Building has already begun, possibly in violation of the law. Who is backing the Siberia-Pacific pipeline? The Russian government and possibly Japanese and other private banks. Who is operating the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline? Transneft, Russia's state oil pipeline monopoly. Who is opposing the Siberia-Pacific pipeline? Environmental NGOs, zoological societies, maritime groups... Why is the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline a "Pipeline to Extinction" (and not just to more oil dependency, pollution and climate change like other oil pipelines)? The only habitat of one of the most endangered big cats in the world, the Amur leopard, is in the way of this pipeline. There are only estimated to be about 30-40 animals left, and any further encroachment on their habitat is likely to have a devastating impact on an already decimated population. Other species are also threatened by the pipeline, but the Amur leopard is now at the "critically endangered" stage, and considered to be on the path to extinction (according to the IUCN).
What can people do to help save leopards from extinction? The quickest and easiest way for people to help save leopards from extinction is to take part in campaigns to help protect critical leopard habitat. You can join us in pressuring the Russian government to change the Siberia Pacific pipeline route by sending a letter to President Putin, which is available in the action alerts section our website. Besides taking direct action by sending a letter today, you can also help by spreading the word about the threats faced by the beautiful Amur leopard. Please send our action alert to your friends and family. The more international outcry we generate, the more likely the Russian government will be to change the pipeline route! | 
