2021–2025 programs for gas supply and gas infrastructure expansion updated for eight Russian regions

Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Igor Kobzev, Governor of the Irkutsk Region, signed the updated 2021–2025 gas supply and gas infrastructure expansion program for the region today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2022.

The program takes into account the region's updated needs for the construction of top-priority gas infrastructure facilities that will form the basis for the consistent and simultaneous development of gas supply to several regional districts, including beyond 2025.

For instance, pursuant to the document, Gazprom will build a gas pipeline with a gas distribution station (GDS) and an inter-settlement gas pipeline in the Zhigalovsky District, thus making it possible to supply gas from the Company's Kovyktinskoye field to consumers in the regional administrative center, i.e. the settlement of Zhigalovo. Gas connections will be made available to 2,500 households and 12 boiler houses. Among the potential consumers are the district hospital, a kindergarten, a comprehensive school and a sports school.

It is expected that natural gas from the Kovyktinskoye field will be supplied to two more districts: Kirensky and Kazachinsko-Lensky. To serve these districts, Gazprom intends to build two gas pipeline branches with GDSs from the Power of Siberia gas pipeline (at the section from the Kovyktinskoye field to the Chayandinskoye field), as well as to lay two inter-settlement gas pipelines.

As a result, the conditions necessary for bringing gas to 3,100 households and eight boiler houses in the town of Kirensk will be created in the Kirensky District. In the Kazachinsko-Lensky District, network gas will become available to 2,700 households and five boiler houses in six localities: the Magistralny and Okunaisk settlements, the Sedankina and Tarasovo villages, the Ulkan settlement, and the Yukhta village.

Moreover, Gazprom is ready to lay intra-settlement gas pipelines for the consumers in the town of Ust-Kut. Gas supplies will be provided by Irkutsk Oil Company (INK) from the Markovskoye oil, gas and condensate field. To deliver gas from the field, INK will build a gas pipeline towards the settlement of Tolsty Mys (located in Ust-Kut) and a gas distribution station. Through the joint efforts of the two companies, connections to the gas grid will become available to 3,000 households and three boiler houses of the town, including the Lena and Tsentralnaya coal-fired boiler houses that supply heat to the central part of Ust-Kut.

Alexey Miller and Igor Kobzev also signed an Agreement of Intent aimed at providing gas grid coverage to the town of Sayansk and certain municipalities of the Irkutsk Region. The parties will, inter alia, analyze the economically justified gas demand to be demonstrated by potential consumers, using as the basis the targeted fuel-and-energy balance plan of the region drawn up in accordance with the procedure established by the Russian Ministry of Energy. In addition, gas supply and gas infrastructure expansion scenarios from 2026, including those taking into account possible off-grid gas supplies, will be elaborated for the Irkutsk Region.

Alexey Miller and the heads of seven constituent entities of the Russian Federation – the Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Orel, Rostov, Tambov, and Vladimir Regions, as well as the Perm Territory – signed annexes to the 2021–2025 programs for gas supply and gas infrastructure expansion.

The five-year programs were entered into in 2020. However, the regions have developed a need for additional gas transmission and distribution infrastructure. That is why the programs now envisage the construction of new gas pipelines. It is planned that the construction works will be carried out by Gazprom, while the regional authorities, in their turn, will continue offering support to the citizens participating in the gas infrastructure expansion.

In the Vladimir Region, Gazprom is ready to additionally build 23 inter-settlement gas pipelines that will bring gas to 101 localities in the following 13 districts: Alexandrovsky, Gus-Khrustalny, Kameshkovsky, Kirzhachsky, Kolchuginsky, Kovrovsky, Muromsky, Petushinsky, Selivanovsky, Sobinsky, Sudogodsky, Vyaznikovsky, and Yuryev-Polsky. Access to the gas grid will be provided to over 9,750 households and 26 boiler houses.

In the Novgorod Region, Gazprom plans to additionally build 19 inter-settlement gas pipelines, thereby creating conditions for gas connections in 120 localities in the following 13 municipalities: the Batetsky, Borovichsky, Demyansky, Kholmsky, Novgorodsky, Okulovsky, Parfinsky, Poddorsky, Shimsky, Starorussky, and Valdaisky Districts, as well as in the Marevsky and Khvoyninsky municipal districts. Gas grid connections will be made possible for 9,800 households and 57 boiler houses. The Batetsky, Kholmsky, and Poddorsky Districts, as well as the Marevsky municipal district, will receive network gas for the first time.

In the Novosibirsk Region, Gazprom intends to additionally build three inter-settlement gas pipelines. Conditions will be created for bringing gas to the Novotyryshkino and Spirino villages and the Kirzavod settlement. Access to network gas will be made available for 2,800 households and five boiler houses. Apart from that, the matters related to the construction of four gas pipeline branches with GDSs and six inter-settlement gas pipelines in the Bagansky, Chistoozerny, Iskitimsky, Karasuksky, Kupinsky, and Toguchinsky Districts will be elaborated.

In the Orel Region, Gazprom plans to additionally build eight inter-settlement gas pipelines. Conditions required for gas infrastructure expansion will be created for low-rise residential buildings near the village of Obraztsovo, and gas grid coverage will be provided in the following seven villages: Alexandrovka, Bashkatovo, Pogudaevka, Repka, Sheynsky Most, Torkunovka, and Verkhososenye Tsentralnoye. A total of 2,340 households and apartments will be covered by the gas grid. Special consideration will be given to supplying additional gas volumes to the Zalegoshchensky sugar plant, as well as to the consumers currently receiving gas supplies via the Zalegoshch GDS.

In the Perm Territory, Gazprom plans to additionally build 22 inter-settlement gas pipelines and reconstruct one GDS. Conditions required for gas grid connections will be created for 75 localities in the following 15 municipalities: the Permsky and Chastinsky Districts, the Kungursky and Oktyabrsky municipal districts, as well as the Cherdynsky, Chernushinsky, Chusovsky, Gornozavodsky, Ilyinsky, Krasnokamsky, Krasnovishersky, Lysvensky, Nytvensky, Okhansky, and Vereshchaginsky urban districts. Access to network gas will be provided to 18,500 households and 53 boiler houses. Two urban districts – Cherdynsky and Krasnovishersky – will receive network gas for the first time.

In the Rostov Region, Gazprom intends to additionally build 65 inter-settlement gas pipelines. Conditions required for gas grid connections will be created for 130 localities in the following 16 districts: Azovsky, Bokovsky, Chertkovsky, Dubovsky, Kasharsky, Kuybyshevsky, Matveyevo-Kurgansky, Milyutinsky, Neklinovsky, Oblivsky, Remontnensky, Sholokhovsky, Sovetsky, Verkhnedonsky, Zavetinsky, and Zimovnikovsky. Access to network gas will be provided to 11,500 households.

In the Tambov Region, Gazprom plans to additionally lay an inter-settlement gas pipeline to the future microdistrict of Malinovka that will be built in the north of Tambov. Connections to gas networks will be made possible for 2,400 future households.

Sergey Gustov, Director General of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz, and Sergey Melikov, Head of the Republic of Dagestan, in the presence of Alexey Miller signed a Coordination Agreement on the consolidation of gas distribution networks in the republic.

The document lays out the guidelines for interaction between the parties in the course of implementing the instructions of Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, regarding the upgrade and development of the regional energy facilities.

It is stipulated that the Government of Dagestan will promptly take inventory of the republic's gas networks, ensure the registration of ownership rights for ownerless gas distribution facilities, and complete the registration of ownership rights of the Republic of Dagestan with respect to the republic's property. Gazprom Mezhregiongaz, on its part, is willing to share its expertise with the regional officials concerning the inventory-taking of gas facilities.

Duly registered gas networks that are owned by the Republic of Dagestan will be transferred by the regional administrations either into ownership or into temporary possession.

The Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Group will consider the possibility of acquiring title to or leasing (in accordance with the procedure established by law) the duly registered gas networks owned by the Republic of Dagestan to ensure their further operation.