OREANDA-NEWS. Led by Vasily Podyuk, Member of the Management Committee, Head of the Gas, Condensate and Oil Production Department, a Gazprom delegation and Gazprom Neft representatives have paid a visit to the Republic of Venezuela, the company's information department reported.

In the course of meetings with Eulogio del Pino, Venezuelan Deputy Minister for Energy and Petroleum and PdVSA Gas leadership, the parties discussed the possibility for Gazprom to take part in the project on Reserve Certification of the Orinoco Oil Belt, new offshore gas projects and prospects for participation in the gas infrastructure projects.

The delegation members visited heavy oil production facilities in the Orinoco Belt and familiarized themselves with the infrastructure and technological peculiarities of the current projects executed by PdVSA Gas.

PdVSA Gas is a gas branch of Petroleous de Venezuela S.A.

In September 2005, Gazprom was proclaimed the winner of a tender for prospecting and development of natural gas fields in the Gulf of Venezuela within the Rafael Urdaneta project (Urumaco 1 and Urumaco 2 blocks). In 2007 the first stage of geological works was completed in the frames of the sustainable execution of the licenses issued. The parties decided to drill test wells.