MOSCOW. Oct 24 (Interfax) - Gazprom , which launched the Kirinskoye field off the coast of Sakhalin Island Wednesday with a view to supplying gas to consumers in Russia's Far East, said preparations for consumers to receive this gas are far behind schedule.

Gazprom affirmed regional gasification programs that it is carrying out jointly with regional authorities. However, the company is financing construction of gas pipelines between towns, in other words bring gas to population centers, while regional authorities are responsible for laying street networks and preparing consumers for receiving gas.

A report on the implementation of gasification programs in the Far East Federal District states that Gazprom is meeting its obligations under the programs, but consumers in these regions are often not ready to receive gas.

For example, one of the major potential consumers of gas in Primorye, Rosneft presented initial data for the design of a gas pipeline branch and gas distribution center to supply 1.74 bcm of gas to the future Far East Petrochemical Company (FEPCO). Gazprom began planning the gas pipeline system, but the plans need to be changed because the oil company changed the site of the petrochemical complex, connection points and type of equipment to be used at the complex, as well as requested an increase in gas supplies, the report states.

Gazprom has also designed a gas pipeline to a future dry dock in Vladivostok, but is not building the pipeline because the dock has not been built and there is no information on when it will be built. The pipeline was previously supposed to be built by the end of 2011.

Gazprom also cannot begin planning a pipeline to a state residency on the Kondratenko Peninsula on Russky Island in Vladivostok because there is no plan for the location of power facilities.

"In light of substantial repeated changes in the amounts of gas consumption presented by the administration of Primorye [