Gazprom, Mitsui Discuss Russian LNG Plans

The CEOs of Russian state gas giant Gazprom and of Mitsui & Co met in Moscow January 22 and discussed the status of their co-operation in LNG, Gazprom said.

The parties discussed current issues related to bilateral collaboration, including the Sakhalin II project, also known as Sakhalin Energy, the  51% Gazprom-owned plant in Russia's far east. 

Alexei Miller and Masami Iijima also considered other avenues for co-operation, paying particular attention to the Baltic LNG project. the statement said. The project would give Gazprom another way of supplying gas to Kaliningrad, whose LNG import terminal was inaugurated earlier this month. However so far there have been no interruptions to pipeline deliveries.

Anglo-Dutch Shell is a partner of Gazprom in Sakhalin Energy and has for some years been discussing expansion of the project, but so far without reaching a decision. The plant is anyway functioning better than expected, beating nameplate capacity. Shell t is also working with Gazprom on the Baltic LNG Feed.

Last summer Japanese firm Itochu signed a memorandum of understanding with Gazprom concerning its possible involvement in the 10mn mt/yr project, which would be its first such investment in Russia.