OREANDA-NEWS. February 15, 2010. The Gazprom Headquarters hosted today a working meeting between Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Company’s Management Committee and Toru Nomura, Managing Director of Itochu Corporation who was representing the Japanese consortium of pipe suppliers.

The parties addressed the prospects for bilateral cooperation when delivering Gazprom’s large-scale projects in eastern Russia including the project for the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok gas transmission system (GTS) construction.
Background

The consortium of Japanese pipe suppliers was established by Japan’s Itochu Corporation, Marubeni-Itochu Steel Inc., Mitsui & Co. Ltd. and Sumitomo Corporation for the purpose of supplying Gazprom with steel goods.

The September 2007 Order by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Energy approved the state-run 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 Gas Program). Gazprom was appointed by the Russian government as the program execution coordinator.

Construction of the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok GTS with its first startup complex projected for commissioning in the third quarter of 2011 is among top-priority projects of the Eastern Gas Program.