Today, the S. Petersburg-based Lentransgaz company hosted a Meeting held by Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of Gazprom’s Management Committee, dedicated to the Gas Transmission System (GTS) Development for Ensuring Gazprom and Independent Gas Producers’ Gas Withdrawal from Northern Fields.

The Meeting was also attended by the top executives and experts from Lentransgaz, Severgazprom, Tyumentransgaz, Permtransgaz, Mostransgaz, Mosregiongaz, Gazpromrazvitiye, Yamalgazinvest, Gazpromstroyengineering, VNIIGAZ, NIIgazeconimika and Gazprom’s core business departments.

The Meeting examined the forecast of the GTS throughput up to 2030, given the fruitful work in constructing new and upgrading the existing facilities. The parties paid special attention to the GTS development in northern Russia for withdrawing gas, which Gazprom plans to extract at the Yamal Peninsula and adjoining offshore territories.

Rudolf Ter-Sarkisov, VNIIGAZ’s Director General, pointed out that gas production development at the Yamal Peninsula implied creating a new gas transmission system with the annual throughput of some 250 bcm of gas. The Yamal Peninsula Development Project envisages not less than 80% of the total investment amount to be earmarked for developing the local GTS.

The Meeting also addressed the issue of developing and upgrading the GTS, given the boost in Gazprom’s gas production, soaring gas volumes piped through the GTS and admission of the independent gas producers.

The parties finally focused on the implementation of the Program (to be finalized in 2006) for synchronizing the commissioning of gas transmission facilities to ensure gas exports.

DIVISION OF RELATIONS WITH MASS MEDIA