Today, Gazprom’s Headquarters have hosted a working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of Gazprom’s Management Committee and William Burns, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USA to the Russian Federation.

The parties held talks over Gazprom’s work on defining partners for Shtokman gas condensate field development.

The meeting also discussed conditions and prospects of Russian American cooperation for technology sector of LNG production as well as expansion of regasification capacities & LNG deliveries to the US market.

Reference:

The USA is one of the world’s most perspective LNG market.

Today, the USA has four functioning LNG storage terminals with a summed annual storage capacity of 45.8 bcm. In addition to existing terminals, a number of new terminals are to be constructed in the Western & Eastern coasts of the USA, having a total LNG storage capacity of 140 bcm per year. The first LNG carrier arrived at the Cove Point regasification terminal (Maryland, USA) in September 2005.The company sealed an agreement for LNG supply to the US market with Shell Western BV and BG Group.

An agreement for second LNG supply tanker was signed with Gaz de France, MED LNG&GAS and Shell. Under the agreement signed, Gazprom’s tanker filled with LNG arrived to the USA in December 2005.

At present, Gazprom ends up talks with the short-list of companies, in the framework of the first phase of Shtokman gas condensate field development, including LNG plant construction. The short-list of companies is the following:

• Statoil (Norway);
• Total (France);
• Chevron (USA);
• Hydro (Norway);
• ConocoPhillips (USA).

In the result of negotiations, Gazprom is resolute to select two or three companies that will form a consortium for the Shtokman project implementation.