Today, the Gazprom Headquarters has hosted a working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Anatoly Artamonov, Governor of the Kaluga Oblast.

The parties examined the progress in implementing the Agreement of cooperation between Gazprom and the Kaluga Oblast.

The meeting discussed the progress of the regional gasification in the frames of the Program for gasification of the RF regions over 2005 to 2007 as well as issues relevant to debt payment by the regional consumers for gas delivered.

Reference:

The Agreement for cooperation and the Agreement for gasification between Gazprom and the Kaluga Regional Administration were signed in November 2001 and February 2002, respectively.

In 2006 Gazprom supplied nearly 1.8 bcm of gas and the same amount is slated for this year.

Within 2006 the indebtedness of regional consumers for gas delivered decreased up to RUR 209.2 mln and as of January 1, 2007 it accounts for RUR 5.7 mln.

Most of the companies pay for gas in advance, however the population has a debt in amount of RUR 68.93 mln.

The Kaluga Oblast is currently gasified by 69.5% including 82.4% in cities, towns & urban settlements and 33.2% in rural area. The average rates in Russia are at 53%, 60%, 34%, respectively.

In frames of the gasification program over 2005 to 2007 Gazprom plans to commit RUR 1 bln for gas distribution networks construction in the Kaluga Oblast. Out of this amount RUR 500 mln Gazprom plans to commit in 2007.

In 2006 Gazprom constructed two pipelines between settlements and three gas distribution pipelines with total length of 36.46 km. Gazprom also plans to construct 23 pipelines in 2007.

From 2005 to 2007 the Kaluga Regional Administration plans to construct 237.5 km of pipelines within settlements, to convert to natural gas 62 heating plants and gasify 7461 households with about RUR 1 bln to be committed from the regional budget and about RUR 300 bln to be raised at the expense of household tax payers and investors.