| 2008-05-05 |
Published: IA ITAR-TASS, Justmedia.ru, Nakanune.RU, NEP. |
An enlarged meeting of the Government of the Sverdlovsk Region has considered the Region’s Development Strategy until 2020 on May 5. Governor Edward Rossel, who opened the meeting of the Government, pointed out that the economy, industry of the Sverdlovsk Region was successfully developing, and that a good foundation for solving complicated tasks set out by V. Putin when he spoke about an innovative strategy of the development of Russia.
Victor Koshkarov, Chairman of the Government of the Region, made a report «On tasks for executive bodies of state power and local authorities of municipalities in the Sverdlovsk Region on implementation of conceptual issues of the development strategy of the Russian Federation for the period until 2020».
Gennady Skidanov, First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of ITERA Oil and Gas Company, told the meeting that his Company according to the arrangement with Gazprom has been successfully and continuously supplying gas through ZAO Uralsevergaz (established jointly with the Government of the Region) for ten years to all categories of consumers in the Region. The volume of gas supplied is growing from year to year. It went up from 15.3 billion cu m in 1999 to 19.6 billion cu m now. The volume of annual gas supply is planned to reach 29 billion cu m by 2015. The Company had signed the second in history Partnership Agreement with the Sverdlovsk Region for the period until 2015 in 2007. The document envisioned a guaranteed gas supply of the region with reference to rates of economic growth and requirements of the social area.
The Company, - G. Skidanov pointed out, - was actively involved in gas distribution arrangements in the Region. Regiongaz-invest, its affiliate, had constructed 188 km of gas pipelines and about 200 km of distribution gas pipelines. Over one thousand kilometers of distribution network for settlements shall be constructed in 2008-2015. According to the General Scheme of Gas Supply and Gas Distribution for Sverdlovsk Region designed by Promgaz OJSC on the order by ITERA, the level of gas distribution in the Region shall reach 72.5% (53% now), and in the country area – 43% (12% now). Natural gas shall be supplied to thousands of settlements in the Central Urals. To implement such a large-scale project, over 77 billion Rubles are needed.
The Company plans include development of the resource base to ensure gas supply. The plan is to increase gas production at Beregovoy field and to develop a network of small and medium-size gas fields, the ones in Sverdlovsk Region included. Among them is the Artinski area. ITERA recently won a competition to develop this area. Svedlovskaya Energogazovaya Kompaniya (Svedlovsk Energy and Gas Company), an ITERA affiliate, shall develop its network.
Energy saving measures taken by ITERA shall allow for the economy of 3 to 4 billion cu m of gas a year. This is about equal to an annual consumption of natural gas by nine power plants within TGK-9.
Gennady Skidanov pointed out that the Company could have invested more in the development of the Region, but the indebtedness by consumers. It is 2.8 billion Rubles. Enterprises of housing and utilities infrastructure account for 68 per cent of this amount. «This is how we reap the fruits of slow pace of communal services reform», - he stressed. According to Skidanov, 800 kilometers of distribution gas pipelines can be constructed on that much money. ITERA and the Government of the Region are interested to solve this problem.
ITERA cooperation with the Sverdlovsk Region is a success in other areas, too. These include the development of woodworking industry, creation of a modern methanol production complex (that utilizes natural gas), housing construction, construction of cultural, business and shopping centers. ITERA, being a reliable strategic partner, is going to increase its contribution in the social and economic development of the Sverdlovsk Region», - the First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the Company stated.
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