Today at the Gazprom Headquarters Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee moderated a meeting dedicated to the execution of a coalbed methane production project.

Attending the meeting were Sergey Shatirov, Member of the Federation Council of  the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Vasily Podyuk, Member of the Gazprom Management Committee, Head of the Gas,Gas Condensate and Oil Production Department as well as heads and experts of Gazprom’s core business units and subsidiaries – Promgazand Kuznetsk GPC.

The meeting participants addressed the progress with the implementation of the “Coalbed Methane” innovative project. In particular, the meeting touched upon the interaction with federal executive authorities, execution of Schedule Plan covering high-priority R&D, exploration and engineering activities between 2007 and 2008 as well as procedural & institutional and technical issues related to the coalbed methane production and utilization.

The attendants also discussed the progress in implementing of the Schedule Plan for the synchronization of exploration, engineering and construction activities aimed at the preparation for the pilot gas production at the top-priority blocks and areas in Kuzbass between 2008 and 2010.

The meeting resulted in signing a protocol. The protocol emphasizes the importance of the governmental support for the project. The protocol contains assignments to Gazprom’s core business units as well as subsidiaries heads aimed at the timely implementation of the project activities in the current year.

Background:

The most important element of the Gazprom development strategy relates to the expansion of the hydrocarbon resource base. The development of such major sources and areas of methane concentration in the crust as coalbed formations offers considerable opportunities in this respect.

A most appropriate area for the industrial coalbed methane production is the Kuzbass basin, which is characterized by its well-developed infrastructure and favorable reserves allocation in relation to large industrial centers of the Kemerovo Oblast.

Geologopromyslovaya Company Kuznetsk (Gazprom’s 100 per cent subsidiary) holds a license for coalbed methane prospecting, exploration and production within the Yuzhno-Kuzbasskaya Group of coal fields containing methane reserves in the amount of 6.1 tcm.