US keen on LNG cooperation with Russia's Gazprom: US official

Singapore (Platts)--15Jul2004

The United States is interested in cooperating with Russian state-run gas
monopoly Gazprom to build LNG production capacities and to sell LNG to the US
market, US assistant secretary of commerce William Lash told Interfax in an
interview Wednesday. "The US is interested in this because this is a sector
where US has experience," Lash said. He said that during his visit to Moscow
he had held a number of meetings with representatives from the Russian
government and business circles, during which this issue was discussed in more
detail. Gazprom, as part of its overall business diversification strategy, is
planning to enter into the LNG business. The company has already targeted
specific fields for LNG projects and a feasibility study of a plan to produce
LNG for the US has begun. Gazprom has also held talks with ConocoPhillips
about the possibility of tapping gas reserves at the 3-trillion cu m (105 Tcf)
Shtokman field in the Barents Sea. The company hopes to form a special company
with big Western partners to tackle the project by the end of 2004.

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