ASGHABAT (CIHAN) - The Deputy Chairman of the Russian gas giant Gazprom, Aleksandr Ryazanov stated on Friday that the collaboration between Gazprom and Turkmenistan is continuing to develope and that they are satisfied with this improvement.
Ryazanov delivered a statement before the press entitled 'Gazprom's relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States' during which he said, "The 25-year natural gas agreement signed between Turkmenistan and Russia has been put into effect. Gazprom will purchase a total of 40 billion 3 million cubic meters of natural gas from Turkmenistan in 2004. This figure will reach 70 billion cubic meters by 2007."
"We want to solve the problem concerning the transportation of Turkmen natural gas to Russia as soon as possible. Currently, a yearly total of 40 billion cubic meters natural gas can be transported through the natural gas pipeline extending from Turkmenistan to Russia. This number will be increased to 50 billion cubic meters by the end of the year." Ryazanov said.
Ryazanov added that efforts to determine the natural gas reserves in Turkmenistan will be completed with the participation of British and American companies and that Gazprom also want to determine the oil and gas reserves in the section of the Caspian Sea belonging to Turkmenistan.
Gazprom Corp., the biggest natural gas producer in the world, purchased 40 percent of the shares of the Turkish Bosphorus Natural Gas Corp. in April.
Gazprom, which controls 60 percent of Russian natural gas reserves, provides 90 percent of Russian natural gas requirements. 50 percent of the electricity consumed in Russia is provided from the natural gas produced by Gazprom. Gazprom has 58 companies employing 30,000 people all round the world. The natural gas produced by Gazprom is sold in 68 Russian Federal regions and is delivered to 27 countries.