Today Berlin hosted a function to celebrate the 15th anniversary of scientific and technical cooperation between OAO Gazprom and Wintershall Holding AG.

During the meeting the parties discussed the mutual cooperation results over the past period, heard the reports on the implementation of the Program for Scientific and Technical Cooperation between Gazprom and Wintershall Holding AG in 2006-2007, and defined the cooperation development prospects.

The parties signed the Program for Scientific and Technical Cooperation from 2008 to 2010. Among the top-priority cooperation aspects are the investigation of the prospects for internal and external gas markets, efficient gas and gas-condensate fields development, state-of-the-art dispatcher control techniques and facilities, efficiency enhancement in gas trunklines and compressor stations maintenance and operation, environmental protection and safety, as well as efficient intellectual property and large-scale investment projects management.

Vlada Rusakova, Head of the Strategic Development Department addressed the meeting, saying: “The scientific and technical cooperation between Gazprom and Wintershall Holding has been gathering pace and entering new areas for 15 years now and it yields tangible results. In the very beginning of our way we were mainly exchanging experience and information, developing common approaches to solving acute problems. Eventually our companies started to implement the specific joint projects ensuring successful activities under the European gas market liberalization. Such projects include operations within the Wingas and WIEH joint ventures, development of the Achimov deposits in the Urengoy field, joint execution of the Nord Stream project and development of the Yuzhno-Russkoye oil and gas field. Thus, the scientific and technical cooperation has always been a focus for Gazprom and Wintershall Holding and it still is”.

Assessing the cooperation results, Dr. Rainer Seele, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of Wintershall Holding AG said: “The Program for Scientific and Technical Cooperation between Gazprom and Wintershall Holding is not only a common success story. Its implementation is an important investment in our companies’ sustainable future. The scientific and technical cooperation has become integral to the companies’ activities and a kind of a catalyst for the development of other cooperation aspects”.

Reference:

Wintershall Holding AG – is a fully owned subsidiary of BASF Corporation. Wintershall Holding operates in the energy industry.

The strategic partnership of Gazprom and BASF/Wintershall in the sci-tech cooperation sector commenced in 1992. Its major goal is to provide the assistance in pursuing key strategic goals and facing top priority scientific and technical challenges of the companies.

The scientific and technical cooperation between Gazprom and Wintershall Holding covers 9 fields and 32 highly-specialized directions – from production processes automation to environmental protection and safety.