Alexey Miller holds conference call dedicated to 20th anniversary of Gazprom

Today at the Gazprom headquarters Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee held a conference call dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Gazprom.

The conference call was broadcast for 54 companies of Gazprom Group. Top executives from Gazprom Dobycha Urengoy, Gazprom Dobycha Orenburg, Gazprom Transgaz Saint Petersburg, Gazprom Transgaz Moscow and Gazprom Transgaz Stavropol reported on their operating results.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who at different times (from 2000 to 2001 and from 2002 to 2008) was the Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors, congratulated Gazprom's employees in a video address.

Verbatim transcript of the message delivered by Alexey Miller

Esteemed colleagues! Dear friends!

I heartily congratulate you on a milestone event – the 20th anniversary of Gazprom!

This is a special holiday for all of us. It is due to our efforts that Gazprom has become one of the most powerful companies in the global energy industry. The scale of what has been created is immense. We are the first in the world in terms gas production, first in terms of export volumes, first in terms of the length of gas pipelines that we operate.

Today Gazprom's production capacities exceed 600 billion cubic meters of gas, and the Company consistently increases its production potential. For the first time in 40 years a Russian new gas production center was created in Yamal. Last year the giant Bovanenkovo field was put onstream there. Yamal is turning into one of the world's major gas provinces.

The most prolific Russian field – Zapolyarnoye – has been brought to its full capacity.

Today we are establishing the gas industry in Eastern Russia. Gas production centers are currently operating in Sakhalin and Kamchatka, the work is in full swing in Yakutia. In the near term the Company is planning to create capacities in the Arctic shelf. This year hydrocarbon production will be launched in the Prirazlomnoye field.

We made a technology breakthrough in developing the Unified Gas Supply System of Russia. The first string of the Bovanenkovo – Ukhta gas pipeline was made of unique Russian pipes turned out at Gazprom's request. For the first time in the Russian history an interregional gas trunkline was laid in the Far East from Sakhalin to Vladivostok. The first Russian offshore gas pipeline linking Dzhubga, Lazarevskoye and Sochi was laid under the Black Sea. The most powerful Russian compressor station Portovaya was constructed. In the nearest future we will have a new world champion in terms of output – the Russkaya compressor station.

Gazprom gained a considerable gas supply and gasification pace – every day one more gasified locality appears on the gas map of Russia.

We will retain strong positions in Europe for decades to come. A fundamentally new route was laid for Russian gas exports to Europe – Nord Stream. As scheduled, construction began on South Stream. Its offshore section will be built with the use of unparalleled technologies. The absence of transit countries in the routes of these gas pipelines considerably advances the reliability of Russian gas supplies to European markets.

We are expanding our export geography. The gas industry evolvement in eastern regions enables us to enter the promising, highly receptive and burgeoning Asian market, primarily, by creating additional gas liquefying capacities in the nearest future.

We achieved a lot in other lines of activity as well. Gazprom entered the power industry only a few years ago, and it has already become a leader in the Russian market. In the national oil industry we are among the top five players and the most efficient company.

Gazprom's rapid development is to a large extent results from its timely restructuring and tough vertical integration. We improved the Company's governance, clearly structured our subsidiary companies by type of activities and provided the maximum transparency of expenditures.

Gazprom today is a socially responsible company. We take every effort to make our employees feel safe, financially secured and confident about the future.

Gazprom takes care of the younger generation and implements the Gazprom for Children program in all Russian regions.

Esteemed colleagues! Dear friends!

Gazprom's successes would not be possible without you – a tight-knit team of employees with in-depth knowledge, vast experience and professional business attitude. Your conscientious and, what is also most important, sometimes selfless devotion to work is Gazprom's key to future victories.

The Russian economy development, the national energy security, the social well-being of our citizens largely depend on the work of our Company. The responsibility placed upon us is enormous. And every day we prove that we can handle it.

I congratulate everybody on the anniversary once again! I wish to compliment the veterans, wish everyone robust health, happiness, prosperity and, of course, new achievements in work.