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Gazprom Can See Alaska from Its Door
Gazprom has begun negotiations with the American company ConocoPhillips on producing natural gas in Alaska and building the Den Ali pipeline from Alaska to Chicago. Gazprom chief Alexey Miller and ConocoPhillips chairman and CEO Jim Mulva discussed the possibility of a joint project to produce liquefied natural gas. They talked about Gazprom exploration and production projects in Alaska and about gas transport. A Gazprom source called the talks “successful.”
The British company BP became involved in the Den Ali project last April. The 4200-km. pipeline is to originate at the North Slope natural gas field, the largest in Alaska. It will have a capacity of 40 billion cu. m. per year and cost $30 billion. BP announced plans to attract a third participant in April. Miller announced the beginning of negotiations with BP and ConocoPhillips on that topic at the World Economic Forum in June. After that, a Gazprom delegation visited Alaska and made a presentation on construction in Arctic conditions.
Observers suggest that Gazprom could receive a share in the project in exchange for resources in Russia. But they also point out that Gazprom does not have the free funds for the project now and that political obstacles to Gazprom’s participation are considerable.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 18, 2008
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