OREANDA-NEWS. July 16, 2008. At the Gazprom Headquarters Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee moderated a meeting dedicated to the execution of a coalbed methane production project.

Attending the meeting were Sergey Shatirov, Member of the Federation Council of  the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Vasily Podyuk, Member of the Gazprom Management Committee, Head of the Gas, Gas Condensate and Oil Production Department as well as heads and experts of Gazprom’s core business units and subsidiaries – Promgaz and Kuznetsk GPC.

The meeting participants addressed the progress with the implementation of the “Coalbed Methane” innovative project. In particular, the meeting touched upon the interaction with federal executive authorities, execution of Schedule Plan covering high-priority R&D, exploration and engineering activities between 2007 and 2008 as well as procedural & institutional and technical issues related to the coalbed methane production and utilization.

The attendants also discussed the progress in implementing of the Schedule Plan for the synchronization of exploration, engineering and construction activities aimed at the preparation for the pilot gas production at the top-priority blocks and areas in Kuzbass between 2008 and 2010.

The meeting resulted in signing a protocol. The protocol emphasizes the importance of the governmental support for the project. The protocol contains assignments to Gazprom’s core business units as well as subsidiaries heads aimed at the timely implementation of the project activities in the current year.