Gazprom, Japan to study construction of LNG plant in Vladivostok
MOSCOW. April 26 (Interfax) - Gazprom and a Japanese consortium, Japan Far East Gas Co, plan to study opportunities to build an LNG plant in Vladivostok.
Japan Far East Gas head Yosio Matsukawa signed the agreement on joint study of the project with Gazprom Deputy CEO Alexander Ananenkov in Moscow.
The document also covers a possible pilot project for a gas compressor plant in Vladivostok for subsequent export.
Itochu said in a statement that the plant will have capacity to produce 10 million tonnes of LNG a year. The study is slated for completion by the end of 2011.
"The research will have an important impact on the outlook for Gazprom natural gas exports from Russia to the Asia-Pacific region, including reliable energy supplies to Japan," Ananenkov is quoted in the Gazprom statement as saying.
Japan imports 100% of the gas it uses in the form of LNG. It is the world's leading importer of LNG.
The agreement between Gazprom and Japan Far East Gas stems from an agreement between Gazprom and Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy on joint study of options for utilizing natural gas in the Vladivostok region, and transportation and sale of natural gas and products from Vladivostok to buyers in the Asia-Pacific region.
The five-year framework agreement on cooperation was signed on November 21, 2005. It was renewed for another five years in January 2011.
The participants in Japan Far East Gas are Itochu, Japex, Marubeni, Inpex and Cieco.
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