Gazprom, CNPC to sign new gas supply document in October - Gazprom chief executive (repeat)
Dzhugba. September 28. INTERFAX - Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will sign a new document on cooperation in gas supply to China in October, Gazprom's chief executive Alexei Miller told reporters.
This document would be signed "pursuant to those agreements that have already been signed - an agreement on strategic cooperation with CNPC in the framework of those supply documents," Miller said.
A source close to CNPC's leadership told Interfax that CNPC hopes to sign a frame agreement with Gazprom on cooperation relating to gas during the forthcoming meeting between the Chinese and Russian prime ministers in Beijing.
Miller and CNPC president Jiang Jiemen discussed the provisional terms of a future agreement on gas deliveries from Russia at a meeting in Beijing on Sept. 15.
"In particular, the parties expressed their unanimous opinion that the fast pace at which Gazprom is implementing the Eastern Gas Program creates favorable conditions for the further development of cooperation in the gas area," Gazprom said at the time.
The meeting between Miller and Jiang was held preparatory to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to China, Gazprom said.
The agreement on strategic cooperation between Gazprom and CNPC was signed in Beijing on Oct. 14, 2004 during then-President Putin's visit to China. The agreement provides for cooperation in a broad range of areas associated with Gazprom's gas exports to China. It also covers examination of opportunities for joint projects in gas processing and gas chemicals in eastern Russia and projects in third countries.
The Eastern Gas Program, which is the state program for creating a unified system of gas production, transportation and supply taking into account possible gas exports to China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific Rim, was approved in September 2007 by Russia's Industry and Energy Ministry. Gazprom was appointed the Russian government coordinator for the program.
-PR