Ms Vostretsova went on to say that the operator was using the wrong kind of pipes and violating pipelaying procedures. She said construction would be suspended until the operator rectified the violations. Commenting on the decision, Sakhalin Energy, the project operator controlled by natural gas monopoly Gazprom, said the changes to the original design were necessary to prevent accidents, including mudflows, as the 800-km pipeline was being laid on complex terrain, with seismic fractures, hills, and numerous streams. "While building the pipeline in a seismologically hazardous zone near the village of Yasnoye, some technological schemes were improved," a company spokesperson said, adding that independent experts were assessing the improvements. The ambitious project, formerly led by Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell, experienced months of intense pressure last year from Russian authorities, who accused it of causing serious environmental damage to Sakhalin Island, including deforestation, toxic-waste dumping, and soil erosion. The dispute was largely resolved when Gazprom acquired a controlling stake in the project last December. Sakhalin II has estimated reserves of 1.1 billion barrels of oil and 500 billion cum of gas. The project also comprises an LNG plant, with a capacity of 9.6 million tons/yr, which is due to be launched in 2008, and an LNG export terminal. Most of the LNG from the project will be exported to Japan.