The Sakhalin Oblast hosted today the celebrations dedicated to commissioning of the top-priority gas supply and gasification facilities to convey natural gas to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Taking part in the event were Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister, Viktor Ishaev, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal Okrug, Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Alexander Khoroshavin, Governor of the Sakhalin Oblast.

“Natural gas has a much more important mission in the Far East than mere gasification of the region. Gazprom tackles a number of crucial challenges at the same time in the Far Eastern federal constituents, including the Sakhalin Oblast, through the use of gas produced offshore Sakhalin.

Firstly, Gazprom's projects will reinforce the Sakhalin energy system. Moreover, utilization of natural gas as a most eco-friendly and technologically enabling fossil fuel instead of coal at the combined heat and power plant will substantially improve the environmental situation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Gazprom's resource base buildup on the Sakhalin shelf will underpin sustainable gasification of and gas supply to the Sakhalin Oblast, as well as the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast,” noted Alexander Ananenkov.

Background:

The September 2007 Order by the Russian Federation Industry and Energy Ministry approved the Development Program for an integrated gas production, transportation and supply system in Eastern Siberia and the Far East, taking into account potential gas exports to China and other Asia-Pacific countries (Eastern Gas Program). Gazprom was appointed by the Russian Federation Government as the Program execution coordinator. New gas production centers will be created in Eastern Russia, namely, in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Krasnoyarsk and Kamchatka Krais, the Irkutsk and Sakhalin Oblasts. 

The Cooperation Agreement between Gazprom and the Sakhalin Oblast Administration was inked on September 14, and the Gasification Accord – on November 15, 2006.

The average gasification level in the Sakhalin Oblast is at 8.4 per cent while Russia's average makes up 63.2 per cent.

In 2009 approval was given to the General Scheme for Gas Supply to and Gasification of the Sakhalin Oblast elaborated by Gazprom. 

CHPP-1 was the first major gas consumer in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. In order to feed gas to the plant, Gazprom built the Dalneye gas distribution station (GDS), a gas lateral from the Southern product transfer facility of the Sakhalin II project to the Dalneye GDS as well as an inter-settlement gas pipeline stretching for some 9 kilometers from the Dalneye GDS to CHPP-1.

At present, the Company continues building an inter-settlement gas pipeline from the Dalneye GDS to the Novo-Alexandrovsk settlement and developing the design and estimate documents for an inter-settlement gas pipeline from Novo-Alexandrovsk to the Klyuchi, Sinegorsk and Sanatornoye population centers.

In 2009–2010 Gazprom invested RUB 620 million to design and construct inter-settlement gas pipelines from the Dalneye GDS to the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk CHPP-1 and from the Dalneye GDS to the Novo-Alexandrovsk settlement. In 2011 the Company is going to allocate RUB 670 million for regional gasification.