A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Sergey Levchenko, Governor of the Irkutsk Region, took place at the Company's headquarters today.

The parties discussed relevant cooperation issues, paying particular attention to the progress of Gazprom's strategic projects in the Irkutsk Region. The Company is focused on the pre-development of the Kovyktinskoye field, which will form the basis for the Irkutsk gas production center. In 2015, Gazprom continued its large-scale 3D seismic surveys at the field, built two exploratory wells, and conducted endurance tests of a pilot membrane unit used for extracting helium from natural gas.

At present, the Company continues to prepare Kovyktinskoye for commercial production. In addition, FEED activities are underway for the future construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline section running from Kovyktinskoye to the Chayandinskoye field (Yakutia).

Alexey Miller and Sergey Levchenko also reviewed the prospects for gas supply in the Irkutsk Region, including the possibility of allowing regional companies to process some of the gas extracted from Kovyktinskoye. The draft Program for Gas Supply to and Gasification of the Irkutsk Region until 2021 prepared by Gazprom is currently pending approval by the regional government.

The meeting also addressed NGV market development and CNG station construction in the region. As of today, there is only one CNG station in the Irkutsk Region. The station, which is located in Bratsk, belongs to Gazprom.