OREANDA-NEWS. The State Company Russian Highways (Avtodor) and Gazprom Neft have signed an agreement to work together in the fields of road construction and the production and application of advanced bituminous materials.

The agreement provides for the development and production of bitumen and polymer-modified bitumen binders which meet Avtodor's requirements and standards, and for their use in the construction and repair of roads managed by the state-owned company.

Gazprom Neft and Avtodor will continue to cooperate to improve the quality of bituminous materials, and to increase the efficiency of the technical processes involved in the production, delivery, and application of bitumen. The companies will also carry out research and development work to upgrade existing industry standards.

“The signing of this agreement is a landmark moment for Avtodor, which is not simply a major consumer of bitumen, but is also working actively on the standardization of materials used in road construction. This process was initiated with the development of the AVTODOR 2.1-2011 Standard for improved road bitumen. These new standards are the result of our joint efforts, thanks to which special-purpose conditioned bitumen that complies with the stringent demands of the road sector will be produced in Russia. The key challenge facing Avtodor is to create a comprehensive high-speed road network in Russia. It is encouraging that we are now able to provide high quality road surfacing without turning to foreign partners”, said Avtodor Chairman of the Board Sergei Kelbakh at the signing ceremony.

“Gazprom Neft's bitumen business is rapidly developing”, remarked Alexander Dyukov, Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprom Neft. “Last year alone, the company increased its share of the Russian market to 30%. Gazprom Neft is also the largest Russian supplier of polymer-modified bitumen binders, which in many respects are an improvement on conventional bitumens. In the long term, we expect to become a domestic market leader in terms of production technology, adhering to the best Russian and international practices. This year, together with the French company Total, we are launching innovative products for road construction, which have no analogues in the Russian market at the moment.”