News

SAKHALIN ORGANIZATIONS BENEFIT FROM $US145,000 OF CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS IN 2001

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, February 8, 2002 -- More than 45 Sakhalin organizations received $US145,000 to support educational and socio-cultural programs in Sakhalin in 2001. The contributions were made by Sakhalin-1 project operator Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL) from its own funds as a part of the worldwide contributions program of Exxon Mobil Corporation.

According to Michael Allen, ENL Public Affairs Manager, both ENL and the Sakhalin-1 Consortium are committed to active participation in the life of the community, including supporting organizations with broad impact in the region. In Sakhalin, contributions are made in the area of college and secondary education, and cultural, community and environmental projects.

Instructor tells the participants of the Rodnik environmental camp about rare plants in the area.

Last year, support to the Sakhalin State University included periodical subscriptions for the University library, continuation of the Internet access project, and development of oil and gas education programs. Support continued for Junior Achievement of Sakhalin, which helps students to learn the building blocks of business and economics, and to use this knowledge in practice. Together with the In-service Teachers Training Institute, equipment was purchased and classrooms remodeled for the Native Crafts Department, which was opened in February 2002.

Funding was provided to the Evrika summer school for gifted children, organized by the Sakhalin Oblast Administration Department of Education, Culture and Sports. Over 1500 high-school students from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk participated in the "Step into the Future" Conference organized jointly with Department of Education of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Administration, and a similar number of students participated in academic Olympiads in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Logos Club, which organizes intellectual competition for the students in the Oblast center, celebrated its 5th anniversary this year. Over this period more than a thousand students participated in Club activities.

Environmental educational programs also received significant support in 2001. Public Organization Rodnik organized summer environmental camp for teenagers and prepared related educational materials. Numerous projects organized by the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Center of Youth Tourism, as well as publication of study guides by Piligrim Hiking and Local Lore Club, were supported.

A. Protasov of ENL shares a cheerful moment with N. Laigun (to the right), Head of the SOA Department of National Policy, N. Liede and L. Kimova at the opening ceremony of the Department of Native Crafts.

Another important activity is the preservation and support of traditional cultures in the districts where the Consortium works. On Sakhalin, assistance was given to organize the Festival of the National Cultures, conducted by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, and to numerous events of the Association of the Indigenous Peoples of North Sakhalin.

Concert tours of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Chamber Orchestra in Kholmsk and Aniva were also supported. Currently the Sakhalin Oblast Museum of Arts is preparing an exhibit of Russian art from the 19th and early 20th centuries and funds were provided for equipment needed for the exhibit.

Other important programs conducted in 2001 included the Safety Wheel traffic safety program, jointly with Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Traffic Police and the Department of Education; support of the Lastochka and Nogliki District Orphanages; the Locomotive baseball club; and the Kantilena Youth Chorus.

ENL is operator of the Sakhalin-1 project and is a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation. Other Consortium partners are Russian companies Rosneft-Astra, Sakhalinmorneftegas-Shelf, Japanese company Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Co., Ltd. (SODECO) and ONGC Videsh Ltd. of India.

For additional information contact:

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in Sakhalin at (7-4242) 72-71-64