The Moscow Times: Shmatko Stands Up for Independent Gas Producers

Energy Minister Sergei Shmatkohas called for long-term changes in the gas industry in a move with unclear chances, as the minister's own future in the Cabinet is up in the air.

Shmatko on Friday said the ministry was in favor of measures that would encourage natural gas producers other thanGazpromto pull more of the fuel from the ground.

The government could allow them more access to "promising" fields and customers and make sure they win easy extensions of contracts to use Gazprom's pipelines, he said.

"We believe that it's necessary to adopt long-term rules of the game on the gas market, which would support the growth of production by independent producers," Shmatko said at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

But the call sounded hollow, given that the Cabinet will last for another six weeks at most before it resigns in honor of Putin's inauguration as president May 7.  MORE