OREANDA-NEWS. On August 20, 2007 the Gazprom Headquarters has hosted a meeting chaired by Alexander Ananenkov, Acting Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee on gas supply to the Kaliningrad Oblast, reported the press-centre of Gazprom.

The meeting examined Gazprom’s activity aimed at creating opportunities and conditions to increase gas supply in the region, which is conducted pursuant to the Order of the Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin on sustainable energy supply to the Kaliningrad Oblast due to the perspective needs of the regional economy.

The participants discussed joint business activity of Gazprom, RAO UES of Russia and the relevant Russian Federation Ministries on identifying prospects for fuel and energy complex development, reliable energy supply and fuel and energy balance coordination in the region until 2020.

The meeting specified that within the said activity, pursuant to the Resolution #333 of the Russian Federation Government as of May 28, 2007 “On Improvement of the State Regulation for Gas Prices” Gazprom coordinated the guaranteed gas deliveries with all consumers in the Kaliningrad Oblast in terms of long-term gas supply contracts in accordance with the “take or pay” principle.

The participants examined issue relevant to the Kaliningrad UGS construction. The meeting underscored the need to complete stage one of the UGS construction in the forth quarter of 2008.
Special attention was paid to reliable gas transmission to the regional consumers. The meeting specified that Gazprom increased the existing gas pipeline capacity in the region as well as developed different variants to supply extra gas volumes in perspective.

In the result of the meeting the Gazprom core business units were tasked to develop technical plan for the growing gas supply transmission to the Kaliningrad Oblast.

Reference:
In March 2006 Gazprom and the Kaliningrad Oblast Administration signed a network schedule for gas supply infrastructure construction in the Kaliningrad Oblast. The network schedule defines a list of activities and terms of gasification facilities commissioning in 2006 and 2007 and is aimed at connecting consumers to gas supply immediately upon completion of the gas pipelines construction. In 2006 Gazprom committed RUR 119 mln for the gasification facilities construction in the Kaliningrad Oblast, in 2007 Gazprom plans to commit RUR 480 mln.

Gazprom and the Kaliningrad Oblast Administration signed a five-year Agreement of cooperation in March 2005.

The Kaliningrad Oblast is gasified at 42,3 per cent including 53,1 per cent in cities and towns and 4,4 percent in rural area.