OREANDA-NEWS. March 14, 2011. The Gazprom headquarters hosted today a working meeting between Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Company’s Management Committee and Konstantin Markelov, Vice Governor and Government Chairman of the Astrakhan Oblast.

The parties dwelled on the joint efforts being currently taken by Gazprom and the Astrakhan Oblast Government under the Agreement of Cooperation and Accord on Gasification.

In particular, consideration was given to the construction of inter-settlement gas pipelines and gas laterals together with the prospects for building a polyethylene production plant on the basis of the Astrakhan gas complex.
Background

The Agreement of Cooperation between Gazprom and the Astrakhan Oblast Government was signed in April 2006, the Accord on Gasification – in March 2000.

Between 2005 and 2010 Gazprom invested over RUB 1.86 billion in the Astrakhan Oblast gasification. It allowed gasifying 60 population centers, over 9 thousand apartments and households and converting 56 boiler houses to gas.

The average level of natural gas penetration in the Astrakhan Oblast amounted to 74.7 per cent in 2010 including 82.2 per cent in cities and towns and 61.1 per cent in the rural area. The identical figures throughout Russia average 63.2, 67.5 and 45.5 per cent respectively.

In 2011 Gazprom is to allocate RUB 40 million for the Astrakhan Oblast gasification. The funds will be used to finish the inter-settlement gas pipeline construction and initiate the construction of a new one.

The Astrakhan gas complex (AGC) is among the largest ones in Russia. The key facilities of the AGC are the Astrakhan gas and condensate field and the gas processing plant.