OREANDA-NEWS. June 16, 2016. The Gazprom in Eastern Russia, Entry into Asia-Pacific Markets Press Conference was held at the Company's headquarters today in the lead-up to the annual General Shareholders Meeting. The Press Conference featured Deputy Chairmen of the Gazprom Management Committee Vitaly Markelov and Alexander Medvedev, Members of the Gazprom Management Committee and Department Heads Oleg Aksyutin, Vyacheslav Mikhalenko and Vsevolod Cherepanov, Department Head Pavel Oderov, and Gazprom Export Director General Elena Burmistrova.

It was noted at the Press Conference that Gazprom continued to actively implement large-scale projects in eastern Russia.

The Company is committed to expanding its resource base. With geological exploration at the Chayandinskoye field – the basis for the Yakutia gas production center – nearly over, the field is ready for development. As part of the Sakhalin III project, geological exploration has been completed within the boundaries of the Yuzhno-Kirinskoye field.

Gazprom continues to enhance its production capacities. Specifically, the Kirinskoye field offshore Sakhalin Island, developed since 2014, will see the number of producing wells increase from 2 to 4 this year. In 2019, there will be 7 active wells at the field, with the annual gas production potentially reaching 5.5 billion cubic meters. The pre-development of the Chayandinskoye field is underway: 8 drilling rigs are currently employed in the construction of producing gas wells; it is planned to use 5 more rigs (13 overall) in the future.

The expansion of gas production capacities in Russia's East takes place in tandem with the development of the gas transmission system. The construction of the Power of Siberia gas trunkline is on track: the Chayanda – Lensk – Olyokminsk section is being built at present. As early as 2018, Gazprom will ensure the operational readiness of Power of Siberia's priority capacities running from Chayandinskoye to the Chinese border near Blagoveshchensk.

The construction of the Amur gas processing plant (GPP), Russia's largest gas processing facility, is going according to the schedule. Area planning for the GPP is being carried out, with railway sidings and a temporary wharf being built on the Zeya River. Gazprom intends to start constructing the pile foundation for the plant's core equipment this year.

In parallel with setting up the eastern route of gas supplies to China (Power of Siberia), the Company continues to negotiate the terms of gas deliveries via the western route (Power of Siberia 2). In addition, the possibility of a third pipeline delivery route – from Russia's Far East – is being explored.

The Company also plans to boost liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to Asia-Pacific. Design documentation is being developed for the construction of the third production train of the LNG plant within the Sakhalin II project. The plant has an annual capacity of up to 5.4 million tons of LNG.

The Press Conference also touched upon other issues related to Gazprom's eastern projects.