OREANDA-NEWS. June 29, 2011. The Gazprom headquarters hosted today the first meeting of the Joint Steering Committee within the framework of the Agreement on Strategic Cooperation with Foundation Project Delta Group.

 The meeting was moderated by Nail Gafarov, Deputy Head of the Gas, Gas Condensate and Oil Production Department of Gazprom and Gertjan Lankhorst, Chief Executive Officer of GasTerra.

 The meeting participants discussed the promising cooperation areas and proposed joint projects on energy efficiency, underground gas storage facilities design, creation of a gas filling stations network as part of the Blue Corridor project. Moreover, the parties addressed the potential joint efforts in sharing the technologies of well drilling and hydrocarbon fields pre-developing in permafrost soils.

 Besides, the meeting addressed cooperation issues related to hydrocarbon fields pre-development and the supporting infrastructure construction in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and northern regions of the Krasnoyarsk Krai.

 Based on the meeting results, the companies' experts were given appropriate tasks relevant to preparation of the 2011–2013 cooperation program.
Background

 Foundation Project Delta Group is an open partnership of Dutch companies and scientific institutions directly cooperating with the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers. The Group has been set up for the purpose of promoting long-term cooperation between Russia and the Netherlands to secure sustainable production, transportation and delivery of energy carriers.

 On June 18, 2010 Gazprom and Foundation Project Delta Group inked the Agreement on Strategic Cooperation stipulating collaboration between the companies in the energy sector, including gas production, transportation, underground storage and processing. Pursuant to the document, the parties will continue cooperating on energy efficiency, LNG, non-conventional gas sources, environmental protection, science and technology, etc.

 The Blue Corridor project stipulating mass production of natural gas vehicles will help considerably reduce fuel costs, mitigate negative environmental impacts and diversify natural gas applications.