OREANDA-NEWS. August 04, 2011. Led by Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, a group of the Company's experts started a business trip to the Far East, reported the press-centre of Gazprom.

The Company's experts visited construction sites of the Sakhalin main compressor station (MCS) and the Sakhalin section of the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok gas transmission system (GTS).

At the MCS construction headquarters Alexander Ananenkov moderated a working meeting dedicated to construction of the said facilities. Taking part in the meeting were the following Members of the Gazprom Management Committee: Oleg Aksyutin, Head of the Gas Transportation, Underground Storage and Utilization Department and Yaroslav Golko, Head of the Investment and Construction Department.

At present, startup operations are underway at all basic process facilities. Hydraulic testing of gas communications is completed as well as installation and testing of the MCS fire-fighting equipment, installation of an interconnector between the junction point of the Sakhalin I project and the Sakhalin MCS is nearly completed, construction and installation of block valve stations at the Sakhalin section of the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok GTS will soon be finished.

The meeting paid special attention to the proposals made by Stroygazmontazh, the general contractor, in order for the company to catch up with the construction schedule to ensure gas supply in August 2011 for comprehensive testing of the Sakhalin MCS and the linear part of the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok GTS.

Based on the meeting results, Gazprom's contracting companies and structural units were given the tasks aimed at timely completion of installation, construction and startup activities in order to ensure gas supply within the prescribed deadline.

Background
Gazprom's expert groups take regular trips to the Far East. A group is made up of top managers from the Company, its specialized subdivisions, subsidiaries and contracting agencies. The trips are primarily aimed at securing the timely execution of the projects on shaping the Unified Gas Supply System in Eastern Russia on the basis of the Company's resource base.

The September 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 Gas Program). Gazprom was appointed by the Russian Federation Government as the Program execution coordinator.

The Eastern Gas Program gives priority to the creation and development of the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok gas transmission system. Launched in July 2009, the GTS construction is targeted at developing gas supplies to the Khabarovsk Krai and the Sakhalin Oblast as well as arranging gas deliveries to the Primorsky Krai. The 1,350-kilometer first startup complex of the gas pipeline with the annual capacity of 6 billion cubic meters is to be brought onstream in the third quarter of 2011.

The Sakhalin Island's section (from the Sakhalin MCS to the Nevelsky Strait) of the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok GTS makes up 128 kilometers.