Representatives of leading Russian and international investment companies took a fact-finding trip to Gazprom's subsidiary companies and process facilities in the Leningrad Region. The trip was arranged by Gazprom.

The investment community showed a strong interest in the event – more than 50 analysts and investors took part in it. Representatives from the Gas Transportation, Underground Storage and Utilization Department, the Prospective Development Department, the Department for Finance and Economics, Gazprom Export, Gazprom Transgaz Saint Petersburg, Gazprom Neft , Gazprom Energoholding  and TGC-1also joined the visit.

In Saint Petersburg the investment companies representatives met with Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Director General of Gazprom Export. The Company announced its forecasts concerning gas export volumes intended, inter alia, for European countries as well as anticipated receipts from gas sales to these countries. Alexander Medvedev touched upon such issues of great concern to investors as revision of contractual terms and conditions with European consumers, prospects for building the South Stream gas pipeline and gas supplies to China.

The visitors got acquainted with the Gazprom Neft headquarters in Saint Petersburg. Analysts interviewed the company's specialized structural units heads led by Alexey Yankevich, Member of the Management Committee, Deputy Director General for Finance and Economics of Gazprom Neft. In the course of the meeting special attention was paid to Gazprom Neft's long-term strategy aimed to ramp up processing, boost sales in premium segments, mitigate the environmental impact, expand the geographic reach of supplies and increase the company's share in the domestic and global markets.

The investment community representatives visited the Portovaya compressor station (CS) – the key element of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The visitors made a tour around the Portovaya CS. Representatives of Gazprom Transgaz Saint Petersburg gave an insight into the CS operation process, in particular, successful test runs of the first gas pipeline string when it conveyed no less than 1 billion cubic meters of gas during a month and operated fully loaded during a three day period. It was highlighted that failsafe operation of Nord Stream was a significant contribution to maintenance of the European energy safety.

 “During the inspection and familiarization with specific facilities of the unique compressor station we realized the great experience and abilities of Gazprom that pursues a sustainable strategy of maintaining and developing Russian gas export to Europe,” said Valery Nestorov, an analyst from Troika Dialog Investment Company at the end of the visit. The visitors also appreciated the new compressor capacities installed at the Portovaya CS.

Besides, analysts and investors visited the TGC-1 office in Saint Petersburg. Kirill Lykov, Member of the Management Committee – Director for Finance and Economics of TGC-1 held a presentation of the company's business activity placing an emphasis on the factors that made TGC-1 a unique power generating company in the Northwestern region. The visitors also heard a forecast of the basic financial and economic indicators in 2012 and the mid-term plans for developing TGC-1.

Background

Representatives of investment companies take regular trips to Gazprom Group's production facilities. For instance, in 2010 they visited infrastructure facilities of the Sakhalin II project and the Zapolyarnoye gas and condensate field, in 2011 – Gazprom's oil and gas production facilities in the Orenburg Region.