On 16 February, Gazprom placed the A4 RUR 5 bln bonds with a RUR 1,000 face value and 5-year maturity.

The annual coupon rate payable semi-annually was fixed at 8.22% at the Moscow Inter-Bank Currency Exchange, with 77 applications (of the total 98 worth RUR 10,310,500,000 submitted by investors) approved.

The Renaissance Capital Group and Rosbank served as lead managers on the loan, the Horizon Investment Company and the United Financial Group as co-lead managers and the Federal Fund Corporation as financial adviser.

The funds are intended to maintain existing production capacities, implement promising projects, re-finance Gazprom’s long-term debt and optimize the corporate loan portfolio.

Reference:

Gazprom first placed its A1 RUR 3 bln bond loan in July 1999, with the 2nd placement of the A2 RUR 5 bln bonds taking place in November 2002. On 3 February 2004, Gazprom successfully placed the A3 RUR 10 bln bonds with a 3-year maturity. In August 2004, the Company officially registered the A4, A5 and A6 bond issues, each worth RUR 5 bln. The A5 3-year bonds were successfully floated in October 2004. The A6 bond placement is slated for 2005.

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