OREANDA-NEWS. November 18, 2011. The Gazprom headquarters hosted today a working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Company's Management Committee and Do Van Hau, President and CEO of Petrovietnam State Oil and Gas Corporation.

The parties addressed the main areas of the Russian-Vietnamese cooperation in the oil and gas sector and, in particular, the possibility of jointly developing new license blocks offshore Vietnam.
Alexey Miller and Do Van Hau discussed the possible expansion of the Gazpromviet joint venture (JV) resource base and highlighted the importance of joint efforts within the Eastern Gas Program.
Background

On September 11, 2000 Gazprom and Petrovietnam signed a contract that contemplated searching for, exploring, producing and marketing hydrocarbons in block 112 offshore Vietnam. To implement this contract Gazprom and Petrovietnam established a joint operating company, Vietgazprom. As a result of the geological exploration performed in 2007, the Bao Vang gas and condensate field was discovered in the block.

In May 2008 Gazprom and Petrovietnam inked the Agreement for Further Cooperation. The Agreement stipulates geological exploration and further development of four new blocks offshore Vietnam as well as incorporation of the Gazpromviet JV to run its business in Russia and third countries with the following shareholding structure: Gazprom – 51 per cent and Petrovietnam – 49 per cent.

In October 2008 Gazprom and Petrovietnam signed a 30-year Oil and Gas Contract for blocks 129, 130, 131, 132 on the continental shelf of the Republic of Vietnam. The document stipulates hydrocarbons exploration, development and production in these blocks. The Contract will be implemented on the PSA terms. Vietgazprom will act as the project operator. At the geological exploration phase the project financing is carried out by Gazprom. As part of the Contract, 2D seismic exploration and geochemical research operations were performed. The obtained data is under processing and interpretation.

On December 15, 2009 Gazprom and Petrovietnam entered into the Agreement on Strategic Partnership. In line with the document the parties will continue their joint operations in the Vietnamese offshore blocks as contemplated by previously signed oil and gas contracts. They will also study future prospects for cooperation between the companies in vacant Vietnamese licensed blocks.

The Agreement also contemplates active partnership between Gazprom and Petrovietnam on oil and gas projects in Russia, Vietnam and in third countries within Gazpromviet.

The Nagumanovskoye oil, gas and condensate field located in the Orenburg Oblast was defined as the major object of the companies' cooperation in Russia. The joint venture may be involved in operations at other licensed blocks in the long run.