OREANDA-NEWS. December 26, 2008.  The Gazprom Headquarters hosted a meeting of the Company’s Coordinating Committee for Environmental Protection moderated by Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Head of the Coordinating Committee.

The meeting participants discussed the issue of ensuring environmental safety in the course of the Shtokman gas and condensate field development. It was noted that Shtokman Development AG, a special-purpose company, had carried out a large-scale environmental survey and allocated the investments required for environmental and remedial actions.

In addition, the Coordinating Committee meeting addressed the environmental aspects of implementing foreign projects of Gazprom. The Company performs its foreign activities with due regard to environmental protection in compliance with the international legislation in force in the countries of operation and the respective corporate documents.

The meeting participants considered the 2009 Action Plan of the Gazprom Coordinating Committee for Environmental Protection.

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.

The Shtokman gas and condensate field is located in the central part of the Russian sector of the Barents Sea offshore. Shtokman’s C1+C2 reserves make up 3.8 tcm of gas and some 31 mln t of gas condensate.

The development project of the Shtokman gas condensate field is of strategic importance for Gazprom. The field will become a resource base to supply both Russian pipeline gas and the gas received from LNG technologies to the Atlantic basin markets.

Shtokman Development AG, a special-purpose company, was set up in February 2008. Gazprom holds a 51 per cent stake, Total – 25 per cent, and StatoilHydro – 24 per cent. Shtokman Development AG will take up engineering, development, construction, financing, and operation of the facilities provided for at the first stage of the Shtokman field development.

Zarubezhneftegaz is a Gazprom subsidiary and the major operator of Gazprom’s foreign projects.