The International Gas Union (IGU) was founded in 1931 in order to promote the technical and economic progress of the gas industry worldwide.
The union currently consolidates gas associations and companies in 71 countries: it comprises 72 Charter Members and 30 Associate Members.The IGU members produce 95% of the natural gas in the world. The IGU is a reputable nongovernmental and non-profit organisation, the core centre for analysing and summarising global gas industry experience. Today it is the largest international organisation implementing multi-faceted research operations via its Working and Programme Committees and Task Forces.
Russia has been involved in the IGU activity from 1957. Gazprom OAO has been the IGU Charter Member representing Russia.The Russian Gas Society (RGS) and the Union of Independent Gas Producers (Russia) are Associate Members (vested with lesser powers) representing our country in the IGU. NPO Spetsneftegaz CJSC has announced its intention to join the IGU as an associate member. At its meeting in June 2009, the Executive Committee recommended that said company be admitted as an IGU member. The Russian National Gas Vehicle Association has also been cooperating with the IGU as an affiliated organization.
Gazprom’s membership in the IGU provides the opportunity to be involved in the study of key gas industry and gas market development trends, access promising R&D projects, exchange data and experience with cutting-edge oil and gas companies around the world.
At present, Gazprom Group has six representatives operating in the IGU governing bodies. The IGU Coordination Committee has been established at Gazprom under Order No. 340/A of the Management Committee Chairman dated December 27, 2007. Gazprom is also represented in the IGRC Strategic Committee.
The supreme IGU’s management body is the Council comprising one representative of each Charter Member country, assembling at least once a year.At the regular meeting held in Gyeongju (Republic of Korea) on September 24, 2008 the Council assembled to elect the IGU President for 2012–2015 and vote for the venue of the 2015 World Gas Conference. France was elected by secret voting and Jérôme Ferrier of TOTAL will take over the IGU Presidency in 2012.
Candidates of new chairmen of the IGU’s Working and Programme Committees and their deputies were approved at the Council meeting. A representative of Gazprom OJSC was nominated Deputy Chairman of WOC 5, Utilisation of Gas, for 2009–2012.
Every three years the IGU holds the World Gas Conference (WGC). This event is a forum during which results of research efforts taken by the Working and Programme committees are reported, and a wide range of topics is discussed, including the environmental impact of energy production, gas storage, transmission, distribution and consumption, the gas industry development prospects.Alongside the WGC the World Gas Exhibition is held. The World Gas Exhibition is the most representative event of the kind exhibiting latest technologies, energy and energy industry related products.
The WGC participants represent the industrial companies, regulatory authorities and scientific community: among the WGC participants there are top managers of the leading gas and oil companies, ministers, most competent researchers from international energy organisations and private businesses, universities, R&D agencies. Over 4,500 people participated in the latest conferences (in Nice, France, in 2000; in Tokyo, Japan, in 2003 and in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2006).
World gas conferences are held in different countries. The first conference was conducted in London. Gas industry experts were afterwards hosted by Switzerland, France, USA, Netherlands, Germany and other countries. The 1970 Conference took place in Moscow.
The upcoming 24th WGC will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 5‑9, 2009.