MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/. Gazprom is still against granting independent gas producers access to the Power of Siberia pipeline, Vitaly Markelov, member of the company’s management board told a press conference.

He said Gazprom received applications from independent producers for the access to the pipeline, but keeps implementing this project on its own.

Markelov stressed that the contract has been signed between Gazprom and China’s CNPC.

"The project is implemented by Gazprom in accordance with the contract. As for the independent producers, there were applications, but we do the project on our own using our own gas reserves," he said.

Independent gas producers are counting on the access to the facilities of the Power of Siberia.

In June 2014, the Presidential Commission on the development of fuel and energy complex raised an issue on establishing a consortium of oil and gas companies for the construction of pipelines of the Eastern gas program. The Power of Siberia was to become the core of that program.

They also discussed the possibility to include gas supplies from independent producers and associated gas from oil companies to the volumes of exported gas.

As a result, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to study the possibility to give independent gas producers the right to export gas from new fields in Eastern Siberia and the Far East, as well as their participation in construction of the gas transportation system under "grounded economic conditions".

Independent producers say they are ready to export 20-30 billion cubic meters of gas annually to China.

Stet-owned oil company Rosneft stated that by 2020 it will be ready about 16 billion cubic meters of gas for the Power of Siberia pipeline. But Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller is convinced that the Power of Siberia project has no room for independent gas producers.

Currently, only Gazprom has the right to pipeline export of gas.