OREANDA-NEWS. On November 7, the Scientific-Research Institute of Natural Gases and Gas Technologies (VNIIGAZ) hosted the International Conference GAZOCHEM-2007. A Gazprom delegation attended the meeting.  Valery Golubev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee reported at the plenary session. According to the Gazprom press service, the reporter paid special attention to the Company's strategy in the gas processing and gas chemical sector for the next ten years. Valery Golubev specified that Gazprom as a global energy company was building the entire chain from hydrocarbon production to marketing. The processing of natural and associated oil gas produced is a core business activity of the Company. The development of said business activity enabled the Company to receive high value added products as well as to diversify the whole business. Golubev also noted that in the foreseeable future Gazprom set the following major goals in the gas processing and gas chemical sectors: to increase gas processing volumes, including gas associated with oil,  in order to obtain additional volumes of gas chemical raw materials; to derive additional profit from natural gas conversion into methanol and mineral fertilizers as well as the efficient use of ethane resources and natural gas liquids.

In the aim of implementing this strategy the Company has commenced integrated reconstruction of the existing oil, gas and chemical industries and construction of new facilities for the production of methanol, synthetic liquid fuels and other gas and chemical products.
In addition, Gazprom is currently considering new promising projects to establish gas processing and chemical facilities in Eastern Siberia and the Far East within the Eastern Program approved by the Russian Government.
The reporter underscored that new gas chemical production facilities within well-planned investment would enable to fully satisfy Russian demand for basic chemicals. It would also allow Russia to efficiently export basic chemicals to Western Europe and Asia.  "The future success of the domestic gas chemical production will be based on high competitiveness in the internal and external markets, which needs to be maximized by using all the opportunities,"  said Valery Golubev.