2018

January

Gazprom received a construction permit from the authorities of the Turkish Republic for the second string of the TurkStream gas pipeline’s offshore section stretching to the Turkish coast.

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A construction permit for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was received from the German federal authorities.

February

Gazprom celebrated its 25th anniversary.

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Gazprom made the decision to transform the operational structure of its export activities, including marketing and trading. The new business model sets up an Integrated International Marketing Division, which will be responsible for supplies, trading and marketing within the entire export portfolio of Gazprom.

The following documents were signed:

  • the Agreement of Cooperation between Gazprom and the Government of the Chechen Republic for NGV market development;
  • the Implementation Program under the Agreement of Cooperation in the NGV sector between Gazprom, Russian Railways, Sinara-Transport Machines, and Transmashholding;
  • the preliminary contract between Gazprom and SIBUR for ethane fraction supplies from the Amur GPP;
  • the roadmap between Gazprom and ChelPipe for the development and production of pipes for offshore projects.

Gazprom held its 13th Investor Day in New York and London.

March

On March 2, Gazprom set an absolute record for daily gas exports to Europe, with 713.4 million cubic meters of gas supplied.

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Mikhail Putin was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee.

Gazprom and the Government of the Bryansk Region signed the Agreement to expand the use of natural gas as a vehicle fuel.

Gazprom signed the Guiding Principles to reduce methane emissions across the natural gas value chain. In November 2017, the document was inked by such companies as BP, Eni, ExxonMobil, Repsol, Shell, Statoil, Total, and Wintershall.

April

The deep-water pipelay for Line 1 of the TurkStream offshore gas pipeline was completed at the Black Sea coast of Turkey.

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A full set of permits for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was received from Finland.

The following documents were signed:

  • the medium-term contract between Gazprom Export and Geoplin d.o.o. Ljubljana for annual supplies of 600 million cubic meters of gas to Slovenia from January 1, 2018, to January 1, 2023;
  • the Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding between Gazprom and Saudi Aramco for setting up a Joint Coordinating Committee to implement the Memorandum.

Alexey Miller was reelected as the President of the International Business Congress.

May

The Gazprom Management Committee approved the Company’s power generation strategy for 2018–2027.

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The following documents were signed:

  • the Protocol between Gazprom and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on the onshore section of the transit string of the TurkStream gas pipeline for delivering Russian gas to European consumers;
  • the Supplementary Agreement No. 2 between Gazprom and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Production Sharing Agreement for the follow-up development of the Shakhpakhty field;
  • the Agreement between Gazprom and Botas detailing the terms and conditions of the construction work for the onshore section of the transit string of the TurkStream gas pipeline;
  • the five-year EUR 600 million Facility Agreement between Gazprom and Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank (Credit Agricole CIB);
  • the Agreement of Strategic Cooperation between Gazprom and Siemens;
  • the Agreement on the Baltic LNG project signed in furtherance of the Heads of the Joint Venture Agreement between Gazprom and Shell;
  • the Agreement between Gazprom and ENGIE to take part in the renovation of the Lyons Hall of the Catherine Palace;
  • the Agreement of Cooperation on innovations between Gazprom and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan;
  • the revised version of the Agreement of Cooperation between Gazprom and the Government of the Novgorod Region;
  • the Agreement of Cooperation in the communications field between Gazprom and MegaFon;
  • the Agreement for scientific and technical cooperation and partnership between Gazprom and the Skolkovo Foundation;
  • the Agreement between Gazprom and LUKOIL to jointly develop the Vaneyvisskoye and Layavozhskoye fields in the Nenets Autonomous Area;
  • the Agreement of Cooperation between Gazprom and Severgroup for joint sci-tech and industrial projects;
  • the Agreement of Cooperation between Gazprom and the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to join forces to foster the domestic manufacturing of import-substituting products;
  • a number of agreements between Gazprom and SIBUR Holding as part of the Amur Gas Processing Plant construction project;
  • the Agreement of Intent between Gazprom and United Engine Corporation to develop state-of-the-art technologies for servicing gas turbine equipment;
  • the Agreement between Gazprom and the Sinara Group for the batch production, supply and maintenance of gas-powered locomotives;
  • the Program for scientific and technical cooperation in 2018–2023 between Gazprom and Zagorsk Pipe Plant;
  • the roadmap for the period until 2023 between Gazprom and Almaz-Antey Corporation to produce prototypes of hi-tech import-substituting equipment for subsea hydrocarbon production, gas processing and liquefied natural gas production.

Alexey Miller gave a speech at the “Gas as an Effective Tool for Achieving the Environmental Targets of the Global Economy” Panel Session held as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

June

Gazprom held the annual General Shareholders Meeting. The Company’s Board of Directors was elected as follows: Andrey Akimov, Timur Kulibaev, Denis Manturov, Vitaly Markelov, Viktor Martynov, Vladimir Mau, Alexey Miller, Alexander Novak, Dmitry Patrushev, Mikhail Sereda, and Viktor Zubkov.

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Viktor Zubkov was named as Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors and Alexey Miller as Deputy Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors.

The Gazprom Board of Directors approved the Company’s power generation strategy for 2018–2027.

Valery Golubev was reelected as a Member of the Gazprom Management Committee for a 5-year period.

The following documents were signed:

  • the Agreement to extend until 2040 the existing contract between Gazprom Export and OMV Gas Marketing & Trading GmbH for Russian gas supplies to Austria;
  • the Supplementary Agreement to the Agreement for cooperation in the field of mutual recognition of standards and conformity assessment results between Gazprom and CNPC;
  • the Agreement of Strategic Cooperation between Gazprom and Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB);
  • the Term Sheet between Gazprom EP International B.V. and Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) regarding the contract for exploration and production in the Vitiacua oil and gas block;
  • the document between EXIAR and Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy of Bolivia to secure financing for supplies of gas-fueled machinery and equipment produced by Russian manufacturers.

Celebrations were held to mark the 50th anniversary of Russian gas supplies to Austria.

The “Old Masters from the Hermitage” exhibition opened in Vienna with support from Gazprom and OMV.

Moscow hosted the 6th Football for Friendship International Children’s Forum featuring young footballers from 211 countries and regions.

An award ceremony took place for the winners of the 9th Corporate Contest for the PR services of Gazprom’s subsidiaries.

A sports competition in applied fire-fighting for the subsidiaries of Gazprom was held, with the team of Gazprom Transgaz Yugorsk emerging as the winner in the team standings.

July

During the meeting on the pre-development project for the Kharasaveyskoye gas and condensate field and the gas transmission system, it was resolved to begin the full-scale development of the Kharasaveyskoye field in the Yamal Peninsula in 2019.

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August

In 2018, exploration activities in the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk resulted in a substantial reserve addition of 768 billion cubic meters of gas (А+В1+С1 categories).

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September

The pipelaying operations for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline started in the Gulf of Finland.

Solitaire vessel starts pipelay for Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Gulf of Finland. Stock photo by Allseas
Solitaire vessel starts pipelay for Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Gulf of Finland. Stock photo by Allseas

Solitaire vessel starts pipelay for Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Gulf of Finland. Stock photo by Allseas

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The first spiral heat exchanger – a key link in the helium production chain – was delivered from St. Petersburg to the construction site of the Amur Gas Processing Plant.

The following documents were signed:

  • the Memorandum of Cooperation between Gazprom, PetroVietnam, and the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee. The document envisages supplying gas from the Bao Vang field to a power plant that will be built in the Quang Tri Province in the central part of Vietnam;
  • the Memorandum of Understanding between Gazprom and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. on the Baltic LNG project;
  • the 2018 Addendum to the Agreement of Cooperation between the Government of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area and Gazprom. In line with the document, the Company will allocate up to RUB 10 billion for socially significant projects related to the ongoing expansion of the Yamal gas production center and the start of the full-scale development of the Kharasaveyskoye field;
  • the Roadmap between Gazprom, the Republic of Tatarstan, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation to enhance the cooperation between Gazprom and Tatarstan’s industrial companies from 2018 to 2023 and to further increase the share of hi-tech domestic products at the Company’s facilities;
  • the urban-type settlement of Pervomaisky, Tambov Region, hosted the 1st Labor Festival of Gazprom and the subsequent award ceremony celebrating the laureates. In parallel to the Festival, a number of the Company’s subsidiaries also held professional excellence contests.

Maxim Nedzvetsky was appointed Director General of Gazprom VNIIGAZ.

October

The Board of Directors approved the revised investment program and budget (financial plan) for 2018.

The Management Committee approved the corporate Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving Policy.

Oleg Aksyutin was reelected as a Member of the Gazprom Management Committee.

Gazprom won the Corporate Tax Award 2018. The Company was named Tax Team of the Year in the Mining, Heavy and Construction Industries sector. Karen Oganyan, Head of Department, was recognized as Tax Manager of the Year.

The following documents were signed:

  • the Memorandum on Strategic Cooperation between Gazprom and OMV. The document envisages the creation of a Joint Coordinating Committee on collaboration in the natural gas sector, both upstream and downstream, science and technology, and staff training;
  • the Basic Agreement on Asset Sale between Gazprom and OMV. In accordance with the document, OMV will obtain a 24.98 per cent stake in the project for developing Blocks 4A and 5A in the Achimov formations of the Urengoyskoye field;
  • the Framework Agreement between Gazprom and Royal Dutch Shell on the joint design concept (pre-FEED) for the Baltic LNG project. The document outlines the next stage of the Baltic LNG project in the lead-up to the FEED stage;
  • the construction contracts for four vessels between Gazprom and the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex. The documents provide for the construction of three supply vessels, which will be used for towing operations, anchor handling and cargo delivery to production and drilling platforms, and one passenger vessel for platform crews;
  • the Cooperation Agreement between Gazprom and Transneft. Among other things, the parties plan to jointly participate in the implementation of industry-specific and regional NGV utilization programs;
  • the Cooperation Agreement between Gazprom and the Roscosmos State Space Corporation. The parties agreed to look into the possibility of Roscosmos taking part in Gazprom’s project aimed at setting up a spacecraft assembly facility in the Moscow Region;
  • the Agreement of Cooperation among Technical Committees for Standardization. The cooperation is aimed at implementing the emerging state-run Program for standardization of developing technologies and equipment in oil refining, petrochemistry, and natural gas processing and liquefaction;
  • the Roadmap between Gazprom, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Bashkortostan. In line with the document, Gazprom and the industrial complex of the Republic of Bashkortostan will join efforts in the 2018–2021 period to expand the output of import-substituting products;
  • the Roadmap between Gazprom and the Novosibirsk Region to expand the use of high-tech, including import-substituting, products turned out by regional companies for Gazprom’s needs;
  • the Technology Roadmap between Gazprom and TMK to launch the production of pipes with built-in recording, processing and switching devices;
  • the Cooperation Program between Gazprom and UEC to provide the Company with reliable domestic gas turbine equipment until 2030.

Gas into Motors, the world’s longest rally for NGVs powered by liquefied natural gas, concluded at the 8th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum. In 30 days, the rally participants travelled 9,881 kilometers across China, Kazakhstan, and Russia.

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The best inventors and innovators among the subsidiaries of Gazprom were announced.
The top prize in the Best Inventor among Gazprom’s Subsidiaries category went to Gazprom Dobycha Yamburg.
Gazprom Transgaz Ufa and Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta shared the first prize in the Best Innovator among Gazprom’s Subsidiaries category.

Igor Safonov was appointed Director General of Gazprom UGS.

November

Construction of the offshore section of the TurkStream gas pipeline was completed.

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By the start of the 2018–2019 withdrawal season, the potential maximum daily deliverability of Russian UGS facilities was increased to 812.5 million cubic meters of gas, an absolute record for the national gas industry.

The Gazprom Management Committee approved the Company’s tax policy framework for 2019–2021.

The following documents were signed:

  • the Amendment to the contract on gas supplies to Austria between Gazprom and OMV. According to the document, gas deliveries to Austria will be increased by 1 billion cubic meters per year beyond the contractual amount for the entire contract period;

  • the Technology Roadmap between Gazprom and Severstal to launch the production of large-diameter pipes of K80 strength class;

  • the roadmap between Gazprom, the Government of the Rostov Region, and RUSNANO to accelerate the development of the regional NGV market.

A track-and-field arena built as part of the Gazprom for Children program was opened in Kirov.

The award ceremony for the 2018 edition of Gazprom’s Science and Technology Prize was held. The top prize went to the paper entitled “Creating and adopting innovative methods of tight gas development to increase cost efficiency of production” by Severneftegazprom.

China hosted the Gazprom and CNPC Arts Festival.

December

The Gazprom Board of Directors approved the Company’s investment program and budget for 2019.

The third and final gas production facility of the Bovanenkovskoye field and the Ukhta – Torzhok 2 gas trunkline were brought into operation.

Gas production facility No. 3 at Bovanenkovskoye field
Gas production facility No. 3 at Bovanenkovskoye field

Gas production facility No. 3 at Bovanenkovskoye field

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Power Unit No. 1 of the Grozny Thermal Power Plant came onstream.

The following documents were signed:

  • the supplementary agreement to the contract between Gazprom Export and Gazprom Armenia setting the price of gas supplies to Armenia in 2019;
  • the Cooperation Agreement for 2019 between Gazprom and the Government of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area;
  • the Memorandum of Understanding on the Baltic LNG project between Gazprom and Itochu Corporation.

The laureates of Gazprom’s Quality Assurance Prize, a contest for the Company’s subsidiaries, received their awards. Gazprom Svyaz, Gazprom Transgaz Samara, and Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk won trophies in the Business Excellence category. Gazprom Dobycha Urengoy took the top award in the Power of Growth category.

Alexey Miller moderated the 39th Presiding Committee Meeting of the International Business Congress.