As part of a business trip to the Republic of Belarus, Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, held a meeting in the town of Kobrin today. The meeting was devoted to development of the Beltransgaz  gas transmission system and expansion of natural gas use as a motor fuel in the Republic.

Taking part in the meeting were Deputy Chairmen of the Gazprom Management Committee: Valery Golubev and Vitaly Markelov as well as Members of the Company's Management Committee: Oleg Aksyutin, Head of the Gas Transportation, Underground Storage and Utilization Department; Nikolai Dubik, Head of the Legal Department; Vlada Rusakova, Head of the Prospective Development Department; Vladimir Mayorov, Director General of Beltransgaz; heads and representatives from the specialized structural units of Gazprom and Beltransgaz.

It was noted that ongoing integration of Beltransgaz into Gazprom Group was one of the major factors in maintaining a high level of reliability of the gas transmission system in Belarus. Gazprom gives a particular attention to the current condition of the gas transmission facilities in the Republic of Belarus as well as to a long-term development strategy of the Company's subsidiary. The Beltransgaz development programs for three-year and ten-year periods as well as the General Scheme of Gas Supply of the Republic of Belarus until 2030 are being currently elaborated.

The parties will also analyze the options for an upgrade of the operating gas transmission facilities and construction of new ones, review different gas supply and demand scenarios in Belarus, clarify anticipated volumes of gas transit to European countries. The meeting resolved to prepare an action plan on the Belarusian gas transmission system development, within the next two months. The mentioned above will enable Gazprom to optimally plan its investment activities in the Republic.

The meeting participants addressed the issue of natural gas use as a motor fuel in the Republic. It was noted that Gazprom was making intensive efforts to extend the NGV fuel market in Russia and intended to implement a similar project in Belarus.

Together with the Belarusian state authorities the Company plans to elaborate the measures aimed at increasing NGV fuel sales and the NGV fleet as well as expanding the CNG filling network and appropriate service centers. The parties will pay a special attention to promoting the NGV fuel use by motor transport.

 “As a strategic investor, Gazprom targets on widespread and exhaustive development of the Belarusian gas transmission system,” said Alexey Miller at the meeting.

The Gazprom delegation also visited today the Kobrin compressor station located at the Torzhok – Minsk – Ivatsevichi – Dolina gas trunkline as well as the Brest-2 CNG filling station.

Alexey Miller took part in the ceremony of the delivery of the newly built 60-flat residential house to the employees of the Kobrin Line Pipe Operation Center.

Background

On November 25, 2011, in furtherance of the intergovernmental agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, Gazprom and the State Property Committee of the Republic of Belarus entered into the purchase and sale agreement for a 50 per cent stake in Beltransgaz. Taking into consideration Gazprom's 50 per cent stake in Beltransgaz acquired in 2007–2010, Gazprom became the owner of a 100 per cent stake in Beltransgaz.

The gas transmission system (GTS) of Beltransgaz comprises 7,502 kilometers of gas trunklines and gas laterals, 5 pipeline compressor stations, 235 gas distribution stations, 7 gas metering stations, and 26 CNG filling compressor stations.

The GTS of Beltransgaz also includes 3 underground gas storage (UGS) facilities: the Osipovichskoye and Pribugskoye facilities built in aquifers, and the Mozyrskoye facility constructed in salt caverns. The working gas capacity of the mentioned UGS facilities totals some 1 billion cubic meters.

Beltransgaz operates the Belarusian 575-kilometer section of the Yamal – Europe gas trunkline owned by Gazprom.

The company supplies Russian natural gas to the Kaliningrad Region, Lithuania, Ukraine and Western Europe via gas trunklines running across the Republic.