Today the Gazprom Headquarters has hosted a working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Alexander Zhilkin, Governor of the Astrakhan Oblast.

The parties discussed the progress with implementing the Agreement of cooperation between Gazprom and the Astrakhan Oblast.

Particularly, the meeting examined issues relevant to the gasification of the northern regions of the Astrakhan Oblast as well as to plans to gasify the region over 2008 to 2009.

The meeting also addressed the prospects of construction of stream and gas fired CHP for Astrakhangazprom and polyethylene production facilities at the Astrakhan gas processing plant.

Special attention was paid to timely settlement of debt of the Astrakhan Oblast consumers for gas delivered and a 100 per cent payment of accounts for current gas supplies. 

Reference:

The Agreement of cooperation and the Agreement for gasification between Gazprom and the Astrakhan Regional Administration were signed on April 19, 2006 and March 2000, respectively.

In 2006 Gazprom supplied nearly 2 bcm of gas. In the current year Gazprom plans to supply nearly 2.3 bcm of gas. 

The Astrakhan Oblast is currently gasified by 68 per cent including 77.4 per cent in cities, towns & urban settlements and 49.6 per cent in the rural area. The average rates in Russia are at 58 per cent, 64 per cent, 40 per cent, respectively.

Over 2002 to 2006 Gazprom committed nearly RUR 1.3 bln for gasification of the Astrakhan Oblast gasification particularly for construction of 3560 km of gas pipelines aimed at gasifying 143 settlements, converting to natural gas more than 700 housing facilities.

In 2007 Gazprom plans to commit RUR 470 mln for construction of 23 local pipelines and 11 out of said 23 local pipelines are planned to be commissioned this year. The Regional leadership plans to construct 148.5 km of local gas pipelines, gasify 6 413 households and convert 34 heating plants to natural gas.

As of January 1, 2007 the indebtedness of regional consumers for gas delivered estimated at RUR 226.59 mln and only within nine months of 2007 the indebtedness increased by RUR 341 mln and as of October 1, 2007 it exceeded RUR 567.57 mln. The major amount of debt appeared due to non-payments of the regional population and power generation enterprises.