OREANDA-NEWS. On August 10, 2007 Alexander Ananenkov, Acting Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee has moderated at the Gazprom Headquarters a meeting dedicated to maintenance and repair arrangements at the Unified Gas Supply System (UGSS) of Russia facilities, reported the press-centre of Gazprom.

The meeting was attended by Vasily Podyuk, Member of the Management Committee, Head of the Gas, Gas Condensate and Oil Production Department, heads and specialists of the Company’s core business units. Also present at the meeting were the heads of Gazprom’s subsidiaries: Gazkomplektimpex, Mostransgaz, Orenburggazprom, Severgazprom, Surgutgazprom, Tyumentransgaz, Yugtransgaz, Yamburggazdobycha, Centrenergogaz, Electrogaz and Gazavtomatika.

The participants discussed the topical UGSS overhaul and maintenance challenges faced by repair and maintenance companies in the light of the structural reform being stepped by Gazprom so as to streamline the corporate governance structure.

In particular, appreciation was voiced for phase one of the intra-corporate reform. The meeting underscored that within the process of creating separate entities, i.e. service companies, on the platform of repair outlets of Gazprom’s subsidiaries, the experienced personnel was retained and high quality operating performance was provided. This consequently contributed to reliable UGSS operation and higher labor efficiency at Gazprom’s gas production and transportation subsidiaries.

The meeting also summarized the UGSS overhaul and maintenance results between 2006 and the first half of 2007.

The participants highlighted that the creation of separate service outlets had provided Gazprom with all prerequisites to fully switch to competitive selection of repair companies. Tender procedures will stimulate those companies for higher efficiency of repair and maintenance operations. Gazprom is to benefit from tenders due to lower maintenance and repair costs but higher quality.