Gazprom's Headquarters has convened today a working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of Gazprom's Management Committee and Jan-Paul Dirkse, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Russia.

The parties discussed issues in relation to Russian gas deliveries to Europe including the UK as well as potential natural gas transmission through Germany and the Netherlands by the BBL (Balgzand Bacton Line) pipeline currently under construction.

The parties reviewed the prospects for cooperation between Gazprom and N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie within the North European Pipeline Project (NEGP), discussing, in particular, existing interest on the part of Dutch companies to develop the national gas transmission system within the NEGP project.

Reference:

Over 2005 Gazprom supplied the Netherlands with about 4 bcm of gas.

NV Nederlandse Gasunie was formed back in 1963 as a natural gas supply and transmission company. In 1999 Gazprom and Gasunie clinched a Russian gas supply contract for a total of some 80 bcm to be piped to the Netherlands on a 20-year basis.

The contract laid foundations for cooperation between the companies in different sectors, from contract security and interaction deepening in Europe to IT, planning & simulation method and staff management experience sharing. Moreover, in 1999, Gazprom and Gasunie sealed a Protocol on strategic cooperation and still keep on intensively interacting, meeting new challenges and exchanging experience.

In 2001, Gazprom and Gasunie took up the initiative of implementing a joint project aimed at sharing knowledge and work experience in the energy sector. The initiative was backed by the Russian and Dutch Governments. The Project was named ‘Gas University’. Later on, the Groningen University joined the Project and together with Gasunie set up the Energy Delta Institute.

On June 29, 2004, Gazprom and Gasunie sealed a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation. The Memorandum stipulates joint activities targeted at enhancing the flexibility of natural gas deliveries to Europe, which would allow to promptly respond to seasonal and daily variations in the market. In addition, the parties agreed to interact in the following matters: Europe’s gas market globalization, energy policy, gas supply security and liberalization impacts on the energy market in terms of suppliers. Gazprom and Gasunie will also share experience in the gas transmission network operation & maintenance, dispatch control and European gas transmission network simulation sectors.