OREANDA-NEWS. December 27, 2007. The town of Bratsk (Irkutsk Oblast) has hosted a solemn ceremony dedicated to commissioning of the stage 1 of the Bratsk gas condensate field – Bratsk gas main.

Attending the ceremony were Anatoly Kvashnin, Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation President in the Siberian Federal District, Gazprom delegation chaired by Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Yury Paranichev, First Deputy Governor of the Irkutsk Oblast, Sergey Serebryannikov, Mayor of the town of Bratsk, Alexander Starukhin, Mayor of the Bratsk Region, Vladimir Makeev, Director General and Chairman of the Board, ITERA as well as Tomsktransgaz and Irkutskgazprom authorities.

“Commissioning of the Bratsk gas condensate field – Bratsk gas main has signalized a commencement of large-scale gasification in the Irkutsk Oblast signifying the start-up of a new stage of the regional social and economic development. Additionally, it is the execution start-up of the Eastern Program approved by the Russian Federation as well as a bright example of efficient and mutually beneficial cooperation of Gazprom as a coordinator for the Program execution and ITERA – independent gas producer. It is particularly important because it was planned before Gazprom and ITERA supplied first gas to the Irkutsk Oblast consumers this year.

Gazprom faces the state issue related to the gasification of Eastern Siberia and the Far East. The issue would be resolved comprehensively and systematically based on approved Eastern Program by the Russian Government. Gazprom actively expands its resource base in Russia’s East, increases production capacities, constructs new gas pipelines and is involved in gas marketing. All these activities will further to development of totally new life standards, economic rise, environmental improvement, development of modern gas processing industries and conditions to produce gas processing products with added value. By the example of the Bratsk project we have worked out a model of efficient mutually beneficial cooperation with independent gas producers within the development of new gas production regions in Eastern Siberia and the Far East,” underscored Alexander Ananenkov.