OREANDA-NEWS.  January 30, 2008.    The Gazprom Central Office hosted a working meeting between Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Company’s Management Committee and Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn, President – Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Buryatia.

The parties addressed the gasification prospects for the Republic of Buryatia in light of the launch of the Eastern Program, emphasizing, in particular, that this year Gazprom would start developing the General Scheme of gas supply to and gasification of the region.

The parties also reviewed the status of preparation of a cooperation agreement between Gazprom and the Government of the Republic of Buryatia.

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The Republic of Buryatia doesn’t have natural gas supply infrastructure.

Liquefied natural gas penetration in Buryatia’s residential sector is at 13.3 per cent including 2.6 per cent in cities and towns and 28.5 per cent in rural areas. Gazprom doesn’t supply LNG to the Republic.

The September 3, 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 Program). Gazprom was named by the Russian Government as the Eastern Program coordinator.

Four new gas production centres are planned to be created under the Program on the Sakhalin Island, in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Krasnoyarsk Krai and Irkutsk Oblast.

The Eastern Program implementation will enable in the first place to meet current and future demand for gas in Eastern Siberia and the Far East as well as to launch both pipeline gas and LNG exports to the Asia-Pacific region.