OREANDA-NEWS. November 27, 2007.  In the city of Saint-Petersburg, Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Valery Serdukov, Governor of the Leningrad Oblast have signed an Agreement of cooperation between Gazprom and the Leningrad Oblast Government in 2008.

Pursuant to the document the parties will continue comprehensive development of the Leningrad Oblast gas supply system due to the Nord Stream project execution.

The parties will work through economic, organizational and legislative issues to provide efficient gas utilization in the household sector by the systematic reconstruction and upgrading of fuel and energy equipment. Additionally, the parties will work out issue related to development of the comprehensive energy supply systems for industrial consumers based on utilization of modern highly-efficient gas saving technologies and equipment.

The Government of the Leningrad Oblast will provide full payment of the current gas deliveries to budget consumers, preparation of consumers for gas intake in pursuance of the synchronized gasification facilities construction schedule for 2008 signed including gas metering equipment installation. The Government will install economically proven gas consumption volumes for consumers who do not have gas metering equipment. 

The Government will develop and approve the schedule of switching to backup fuel supply in the Leningrad Oblast during cold weather and the implementation rules. Gazprom and its subsidiaries will be assisted in right-of-way related issues resolving.

Gazprom will provide uninterrupted gas supply to the Leningrad Oblast. The Company will earmark financial resources for the design and exploration works, construction end-up of formerly set up and start-up of new gasification facilities construction in the Leningrad Oblast due to the regional Government proposals in the draft gasification program for the Russian Federation regions for 2008.

Additionally, in 2008 Gazprom will plan the allocation of financial resources to execute power industry investment projects in the Leningrad Oblast.