Today in Dresden, within the 6th International Public Forum “St. Petersburg Dialogue”, the St. Petersburg State Mining Institute and Freiberg Mining Academy signed in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel a Memorandum to set up a permanent Russia-Germany Resource Utilization Forum.

On behalf of OAO Gazprom the Memorandum was signed by Sergey Fursenko, Director General of OOO Lentransgaz and on behalf of Verbundnetz Gas AG – by Chief Executive Officer Klaus-Ewald Holst.

The main objectives of the Forum include:

• Developing proposals to improve scientific and methodological training of personnel in the areas of geological survey, mineral resource base replenishment and mineral feedstock processing;
• Performing research for the economic and legal aspects of subsurface resource management;
• Providing scientific and technological support for higher mineral resource use efficiency;
• Developing scientific fundamentals that would enable in the future to meet mineral resource security challenges and coming up with alternative solutions;
• Creating IT to study, replenish and monitor mineral resources;
• Enhancing the long-term multiscenario forecasting systems for the consumption, production and replenishment of major mineral resources and reserves with the view of updating the mineral resource strategy;
• Providing expertise on matters in relation to the innovation and investment activity along the entire mineral resource chain including geological survey, production, processing as well as environmental protection and recycling aspects.

To successfully implement the Memorandum, the parties will set up a Working Group before end of 2006.

Reference:

The Russia-Germany cooperation in geology, mining and metallurgy as well as resource management has an over 300 year history.

The St. Petersburg State Mining Institute and Freiberg Mining Academy are the world’s oldest mining schools that pioneered studying mineral resources on a scientific basis. Both institutions provide high-quality training courses on the entire technological chain, from exploration to processing and marketing.

Established in 1969, Verbundnetz Gas AG is a monopolist on the trunkline gas and import purchases market in Germany’s Eastern Federal Lands and Berlin.

VNG’s business activity embraces natural gas import and supply to consumers.