A new Pipeline and deepwater tanker terminal in the Barents Sea would carry crude Oil from Russias West Siberian Basin and Timan-Pechora basin westward to Murmansk on the Barents Sea. Such a terminal would allow for 500,000 bbl/d of Russian oil exports to reach the United States via tankers within only nine days travel time, much faster than shipping from the Middle East or Africa. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities at Murmansk and Arkhangelsk (to the southeast) also have been suggested, possibly allowing for natural gas exports to American markets. Despite support for the Murmansk proposal from Russian oil companies, American oil companies, and the U.S. government, Transneft (and thereby the Russian government) has approached the project with caution. In January 2005, Transneft was considering a shorter western route with a terminus at Indiga instead of Murmansk, and Transnefts CEO plainly said the Murmansk proposal had no future. Alekperov also said publicly that he believed the Murmansk project was no longer economically feasible and had not gained support from foreign or Russian private investors. At a cost of $6 billion, the new Indiga proposal is closer to the Timan-Pechora oil fields than the Murmansk pipeline. Building the pipeline to Indiga, where in contrast to Murmansk the port is iced over during the winter, will still not happen anytime soon. Because the Russian government has given priority to the construction of the Taishet- Nakhodka pipeline, Transneft is reluctant to take on two large pipeline projects at the same time. Some Transneft officials and others have stated that Russias expanding BPs system as Well as a few other key export projects will be sufficient to keep pace with growing Russian oil production.