English

Gazprom set to pump more gas via Belarus

Gazprom plans to increase the transportation of natural gas via Belarus, Aleksei Miller, CEO of the Russian company, said in Kobryn, Brest region, on Thursday, speaking during a conference on the development of Belarus' gas transportation network.

There are also plans to build new facilities for the network and modernize existing ones, Mr. Miller said, according to the government's news agency BelTA.

Gazprom and Belarus try to work in sync to develop common standards and procedures, he said. "In my view, the work is going well and fast, although it is clear that it will be a while before we adopt common standards," he said.

Mr. Miller noted that the conference, hosted by the local office of Belarusian-based gas pipeline company AAT Beltranshaz, was the first major event for Gazprom and Belarus. They can see the potential for pumping more gas to Europe via Belarus and will have to evaluate the capability of the Belarusian pipelines very carefully, Mr. Miller said.

In late 2011, Gazprom increased its stake in Beltransgaz to 100 percent by acquiring another 50 percent in the company from the Belarusian government for $2.5 billion. //BelaPAN