The Gazprom Headquarters hosted today a meeting of the Company’s Coordinating Committee for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency. The meeting was moderated by Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Head of the Coordinating Committee.

Participating in the meeting were heads of the Gazprom Administration specialized subdivisions and subsidiary companies – Giprogaztsentr, Gazprom promgaz, Gazprom gaznadzor, Gazprom invest Vostok and Gazprom transgaz Tomsk.

The meeting participants discussed and approved the plan of top-priority environmental actions to be stepped up by Gazprom before the end of 2010.

The Coordinating Committee also reviewed the issues of ensuring environmental safety when constructing the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok gas pipeline and providing gas to the Kamchatka Krai. As was noted, the projects involved a full complex of environmental measures aimed at mitigating negative impacts on the atmosphere, water sources, soil, subsoil reserves, animal and vegetal life.

In particular, the route of the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok gas pipeline was designed in the manner minimizing the impact on the regional wildlife. In addition, the gas pipeline construction will be assisted by new-generation gas pumping units that meet all up-to-date requirements in terms of atmospheric emission restriction. In complicated seismic areas, pipes and connection pieces with specific structural reliability will be applied.

Comprehensive environmental actions are to be taken by the Company within the projects on gas supply to the Kamchatka Krai.

Particular attention will be paid to saving of the local fish resources. For instance, the crossing of spawning streams by the GTU-2 Nizhne-Kvakchinskoye gas condensate field – automated gas distribution station of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky gas pipeline will be implemented in the form of bridges that will help to rule out the negative impact on salmon spawning.

The meeting participants emphasized that the gasification of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky will result in a 24 per cent decrease of hazardous atmospheric pollutions in the Kamchatka Krai. This plan will be primarily delivered through the transfer to natural gas from fuel oil, coal and fuelwood. This will also reduce the costs of thermal and power energy and increase the stability of supplies to the Krai consumers.

The meeting highlighted the necessity to tighten control over the implementation of requirements for environmental safety by contracting companies.

Based on the meeting results the relevant assignments were given aimed at a timely and maximum efficient implementation of environmental activities.

Background:

The Gazprom Coordinating Committee for Environmental Protection was established in October 2007 in order to provide an integrated approach and coordinate the environmental activities of the Company’s structural units and subsidiaries.

The major goals of the Committee are as follows:

- comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the Gazprom Group environmental activities;

- introduction of an integrated environmental management system;

- coordination of Gazprom’s interaction with environmental authorities and public entities.

In April 2009 a decision was taken to extend the authorities of the Committee and bring the introduction of an integrated energy saving and energy efficiency management system under its supervision.

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 named by the Russian Government as the Eastern Program coordinator.

The Eastern Gas Program prioritizes, inter alia, constructing and developing the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok gas pipeline system.

The Cooperation Agreement between Gazprom and the Kamchatka Krai Government was signed in February 2009.

In September 2007 the Russian Federation Government adopted the decision prescribing Gazprom to get involved in the Gas Supply to the Kamchatka Oblast, Phase 1 – Gas Supply to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Project. The Project envisages pre-development of the Kshukskoye and Nizhne-Kvakchinskoye gas and condensate fields as well as construction of the GTU-2 Nizhne-Kvakchinskoye gas condensate field – automated gas distribution station of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky gas trunkline.