OREANDA-NEWS. Gorno-Altaisk hosted another meeting of the Coordinating Committee for Strategic Cooperation between Gazprom and BASF.

The meeting was led by the Committee Co-Chairmen – Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Hans-Ulrich Engel, Member of the BASF Board of Executive Directors. Attending the meeting was also Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee.

The Coordinating Committee members addressed the performed projects of Gazprom and BASF/Wintershall in the area of natural gas exploration, production and transmission. Additionally, the meeting heard information concerning the joint actions in the sci-tech sector, petrochemistry, energy efficiency upgrade as well as staff training and skills development.

Special consideration was given to the development of the Yuzhno-Russkoye field, which produced a total of 177 billion cubic meters of gas since commissioning. The success of the project for developing the Achimov deposits of the Urengoy field was also highlighted. The volume of gas production there accounts for 12.9 billion cubic meters today. Both projects are progressing on schedule and follow the development plan.

As part of the companies' cooperation in petrochemistry, the meeting paid attention to the interim results of the joint efforts within the Action Plan for 2014–2015 covering the enhanced oil recovery with a focus on chemical methods, associated petroleum gas, gas treatment, petrochemicals, chemistry of construction materials and polymers.

The Coordinating Committee also touched upon the sci-tech cooperation, pointing out such promising areas as the effective development of gas and gas condensate fields, improved operation and maintenance of gas mains and compressor stations, up-to-date methods and tools of operations control as well as environmental protection.

In addition, the Committee members addressed the results of skill development efforts. All in all, 213 staff members from both companies participated in joint seminars in 2014.

At the end of the meeting the parties reviewed action plans for joint programs in 2015 as well as new forms of cooperation and future projects.

Background

BASF is the world's leading chemical company. Its major business lines are production of chemicals, synthetic materials and plant protection products as well as extraction and transportation of hydrocarbons.

BASF and Wintershall Holding partner Gazprom in developing the Yuzhno-Russkoye field and the Achimov deposits of the Urengoy field as well as constructing the Nord Stream gas pipeline.