2001
In January, according to the estimates of Euromoney Magazine (Project Finance publication) the Blue Stream gas pipeline project was named as a European deal of the year. The decision of Euromoney Magazine was made due to technical complexity of the project and unique gas pipeline security system development on the seabed of the Black Sea.
In the beginning of the year, the parties developed a feasibility study for the gas pipeline construction project from Russia to Europe via Finish territorial waters on the seabed of the Baltic Sea. The project was aimed at Russian gas transportation from the Shtokman field to the Barents Sea shelf.
In autumn, intensive operating activities to develop the Zapolyarnoye gas condensate field (a part of the Yamal group of fields) were provided. At the first five-year exploitation stage Gazprom planed to commit RUR 40 bln for gas production. The field was planned to be commissioned in September 2001.
In April, Gazprom participated in the presentation of a new Ka-226 helicopter upgraded due to the gas industry needs. Machines would be purchased in the aim of renewing aircraft fleet of the Company.
On May 30, a Board of Directors meeting was held. The Board made a decision to relieve Rem Vyakhirev of his post of Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee due to the end of the Labor Agreement. Alexey B. Miller was elected to the post of a new Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee earlier serving as Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.
On June 29, Moscow hosted the Gazprom Annual Shareholders Meeting. Nearly 6790 participants attended the meeting representing the interests of shareholders. The participants represented the interests of 546344 shareholders holding a 92.29 per cent stake out of the total quantity. Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee reported on the Company’s business activity in 2000. Particularly, Alexey Miller underscored that the changes in top management of the Company would not reflect on the Gazprom’s strategic course. The most important issue was to stabilize gas production. Alexey Miller underlined that Gazprom's authorities would take measures to maintain gas supply reliability and increase operating efficiency of the Company as well as increase its profit firstly due to the interests of the state which owned a controlling stake in the Company. The Meeting approved the Annual Report of Gazprom in 2000 as well as the proposed changes to the Company’s Charter (totally 27 changes). The meeting elected a new Board of Directors. The session resulted in the meeting of the newly-elected Board of Directors which elected Rem I. Vyakhirev to a position of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Dmitry A. Medvedev was elected to a position of Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors.
On September 20, Gazprom, Rosshelf and Rosneft signed an Agreement on joint development of the Prirazlomnoye oil field located on the Pechora Sea shelf.
On October 1, Russian gas was firstly delivered through the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline to the Netherlands.
On October 4, Gazprom and Rosneft signed an Agreement on joint development of 5 major fields, namely the Kharampurskoye oil and gas condensate field, Vyngayakhinskoye oil and gas field, Etypurovskoye oil and gas field, Prirazlomnoye oil field as well as Shtokman gas condensate field located in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and on the Barents Sea shelf.
On October 15, Gazprom and the Russian Olympic Committee signed an Agreement of cooperation. Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee presented a US$ 600 thousand cheque to Leonid Tyagachev, President of the Russian Olympic Committee.
On October 31, the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug hosted the celebrations dedicated to the Zapolyarnoye oil and gas condensate field commissioning. According to gas reserves estimates the Zapolyarnoye took the fifth place in the international rating of the open gas deposits. The design capacity was at 100 bcm of gas per annum.
On November 8, to fulfill the Decision of the Cheremushkinsky Intermunicipal Court of Moscow as of May 4, 2001, a block of shares comprising a 25 per cent stake in NTV-Plus, TNT-Telenet and Seven Days Publishing House was transferred to Gazprom-Media - Leadville Investments Limited.
On November 29, the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of Kazakhstan signed a 10-year Agreement of cooperation in the gas sector. From the Russian side, Gazprom was an authorized company to fulfill the Agreement signed.
On December 18, the Gazprom Headquarters hosted a solemn meeting of employees and veterans of the gas industry devoted to production of 10 tcm of natural gas.
On December 20, Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee was elected as a member of the Management Bureau of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.