Led by Stanislav Tsygankov, Head of the Gazprom International Business Department, a Gazprom delegation took part in the meeting dedicated to deepening the economic ties between the Urals Federal Okrug and the State of Qatar. The meeting was held in Yekaterinburg by Nikolai Vinnichenko, Plenipotentiary Envoy of the Russian Federation President to the Urals Federal Okrug. The meeting was also attended by Vladimir Titorenko, Russian Ambassador to Qatar, Dmitry Kobylkin, Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YaNAO) and heads of industrial companies based in the YaNAO.

An integrated project for LNG production was of a particular mutual interest for Russia and Qatar as a possible area of cooperation in the Urals Federal Okrug. Envisaged as part of the Yamal LNG project, it will rely on the Yamal Peninsula resource base.

“Developing the Yamal Peninsula resources and establishing a large LNG production center will transform into a prominent regional project that will possibly involve Qatari companies,” emphasized Stanislav Tsygankov.

Background:

On June 18, 2010 Gazprom and NOVATEK signed the Agreement of Cooperation determining the major interaction parameters in implementing the project for LNG facilities construction based on the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye field, as well as the infrastructure creation and subsequent utilization on the Yamal Peninsula. Yamal LNG, a subsidiary of Novatek holds the subsurface use license for the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye field.

Gazprom export and Yamal LNG signed the long-term Agency Agreement stipulating LNG exports from the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye field.

The State of Qatar is the world’s third largest country in terms of natural gas reserves after Russia and Iran. The country’s proven reserves account for 25.8 trillion cubic meters. Indigenous gas production in Qatar is increasing rapidly: from 5.8 billion cubic meters in 1988 to the present 77 billion cubic meters. All natural gas in Qatar is produced from the North field located on the continental shelf close to the Iranian border. Qatar annually exports 56.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas. The bulk of gas is exported as LNG (around 39.6 billion cubic meters). The country has 5 operating projects on LNG production and another 2 projects are nearing completion. The aggregate annual capacity of LNG plants accounted for 84.3 billion cubic meters by late 2009. Qatar Petroleum is the state monopoly in the oil and gas sector of Qatar.