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Russia's Novatek wants equal conditions with Gazprom for gas supplies on domestic market

At present, Gazprom is the single owner of the Unified system of gas supply in Russia

TOKYO, February 29. /TASS/. Russia’s largest independent gas producer Novatek is interested in equal economic conditions with gas giant Gazprom on domestic market, the company’s head Leonid Mikhelson told reporters on the sidelines of the Russia-Japan business mission.

At present, Gazprom is the single owner of the Unified system of gas supply in Russia. Under the Russian law it is fully responsible for the reliability and security of gas supplies in the country.

Meanwhile, independent gas producers Novatek and Rosneft have been supplying gas in three Russian regions.

Valery Golubev, deputy head of Gazprom, said that independent gas producers are not in charge for the issues of gas infrastructure development. This problem could be solved via creation of so-called guarantee-suppliers. "Gazprom finds it possible to grant its guarantee-suppliers on domestic market a proportional access to gas export," - he said.

"We support the idea of ··a guarantee-supplier, first of all....A few years ago Novatek switched to a regional principle of gas sales. We have population among our consumers. The population buys gas in Russia at a much cheaper price than other consumers. A guarantee-upplier must guarantee the delivery, also in the period of maximum load of gas pipelines, and it probably should be involved in the development of gas infrastructure. We never stated that the concept of a guarantee supplier must be somehow linked to exports. We always meant that the Russian domestic gas market, taking into account the monopoly position of Gazprom, must provide same economic conditions (to guarantee suppliers - TASS),"- Mikhelson said.

Earlier, Deputy Energy Minister Kirill Molodtsov said that his ministry plans to complete work on the concept of development of the Russian domestic gas market by May 1. The concept is expected to include the idea of ·· guarantee-supplies in the domestic gas market.