Today Kazan has launched the CITOGIC-2007 17th Annual International Congress “Innovative Technologies in Oil, Gas, Energy and Communication Sectors”.

Mintimer Shaimiev, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan and Alexander Ananenkov, Head of Gazprom delegation, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee participated in the official opening ceremony.

In his keynote speech Alexander Ananenkov emphasized that CITOGIC provided the leading specialists for the oil and gas industry with a unique opportunity to exchange their knowledge and professional experience in the sector of innovative technologies. "The Congress has always addressed the most relevant issues being solved by Russian and international companies. The Congress is therefore of utter importance in terms of the Russian oil and gas industry development," said Alexander Ananenkov.

Deputy Chairman of Gazprom Management Committee specified the results of the Company’s activities achieved in 2006 and its development plans. Alexander Ananenkov also noted that the joint innovative technologies development in the energy sector with international companies was one of the upcoming trends of Gazprom activities.

During the Congress Alexander Ananenkov and Rustam Minnikhanov signed an Agreement of gasification.

The Agreement outlines major cooperation directions between Gazprom and the Republic of Tatarstan related to the gasification issues and stipulates development and adoption of the documents fostering gas utilization efficiency enhancement within the significant growth of the regional consumers particularly:

·                     investment project and gasification program for the Republic;

·                     regional energy saving program;

·                     program for converting motor vehicles and agricultural equipment to compressed and liquefied natural gas.

Pursuant to the Agreement, the investment project will include the General Scheme for gas supply and gasification of the Republic; Feasibility Study and Gasification Facilities Construction Priority List; proposals on provision of gas saving activities; Program for gas distribution network reconstruction and gas monitoring, control and measurement system development. Additionally, the investment project will take into account the issues with regard to implementation of new gas utilization equipment and technologies to increase the gas utilization efficiency as well as to alternative gas supply sources utilization for gasification by the settlements that are distant from gas mains.

A general developer of the investment project gasification for gasification of the Republic, regional energy saving program and program for converting motor vehicles and agricultural engineering to compressed and liquefied natural gas will be chosen within the competitive bidding in partnership with Promgaz. A special emphasis is placed on the issues relevant to the regional gas pipeline reconstruction and reliability enhancement.

Under the Agreement the Government of the Tatarstan Republic is to provide a timely and complete payment of the current gas deliveries by budget-financed consumers and cooperate to ensure a full and timely cover of gas payment by private consumers.

The Government will annually set up the fuel balance and define the gas supply limits for state-financed entities. Moreover, the Government will establish actual gas consumption standards for the population without gas meters installed and develop a program for gas meters distribution among the population.

The Government of Tatarstan in cooperation with local authorities will prepare municipal consumers, social facilities and the regional population for gas supply including the construction of external and internal gas pipelines from the Gazprom gasification facilities to the gas appliances connection points.

In its turn, Gazprom will ensure natural gas supply to satisfy the demand of the population, social facilities, as well as the consumers financed by Tatarstan and municipal institutions in the agreed volume with due regard of production capabilities of the United Gas Supply System and Russian gas balance once the consumed gas is paid for in full and there is no outstanding debt for the gas supplied.

The agreed portion of the gas saved as a result of energy-saving program implementation and taking of energy-saving measures will be supplied for the gasification of newly constructed facilities in Tatarstan.

On September 4 within CITOGIC-2007 a session of the Industry and Construction Committee of the European Business Congress was held on Modern Technologies and Equipment to Enhance Energy Efficiency and Environmental Safety within Gas Transportation and Utilization. The session was moderated by Bogdan Budzulyak, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Head of the Gas Transportation, Underground Storage and Utilization Department.

The 17th Annual International Congress “Innovative Technologies in Oil, Gas, Energy and Communication Sectors” will last till September 8.

Reference:

The 17th Annual International Congress “Innovative Technologies for the Oil and Gas Industry, Energy and Communications” (CITOGIC 2006) is dedicated to new strategic directions for technological development of Russia being a global energy power. The Congress will present innovative technologies to execute and develop the top-priority national and international oil and gas projects in the 21st century.

The Congress is being held under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation and under the auspices of the UN, the Government of the Russian Federation, Council of Federation and the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Ministry ofIndustry and Energy ofthe Russian Federation. The Congress was organized by the Academy of the Technological Sciences of the Russian Federation, Gazprom, state authorities of the Republic of Tatarstan as well as International Academy of Technological Sciences.

The Agreement of cooperation between Gazprom and the Republic of Tatarstan was signed in March 2001.

In 2006 Gazprom supplied 12.4 bcm of natural gas to the Republic and the same amount is slated for this year.

The Republic’s gasification level is one of the highest in the Russian Federation and estimated at 91.96 per cent including 93.04 in cities and towns, 88.93 per cent in rural area. The average gasification rate in Russia is equal to 54, 61 and 36 per cent, respectively.

The European Business Congress (EBC) unites 97 companies from 21 member countries of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). EBC’s supreme body is the General Meeting. The governing EBC body is Annual Meeting. The EBC’s governing body is the Presiding Committee comprising of 30 members. Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee was elected to the post of EBC’s President. EBC deals with economic cooperation issues on the European continent and brings forward proposals on building a safe and favorable environment for entrepreneurial activities. EBC operates through six Working Committees for: Information and Technology; Law, Banking and Finance; Energy; Ecology and Healthcare; Business Security; Industry and Construction.