CEOs of ConocoPhillips, Gazprom meet

According to a press release issued by Russian gas major Gazprom, Jim Mulva, ConocoPhillips chairman and CEO, met with Alexey Miller, chairman of Gazprom, in Moscow on Nov. 17.

“The parties discussed the prospects for the realization of joint projects on international energy markets, particularly in the LNG sector,” Gazprom said. “The meeting addressed the issues relevant to the companies’ cooperation in the Arctic areas including Alaska.”

“Geological exploration offshore Alaska” and “sci-tech cooperation in the sectors related to the comprehensive field development and hydrocarbon transportation in the extreme north environment” were named as top priority possible interactions between the two companies.

“Gazprom’s practice will be extremely helpful when implementing new gas projects in the United States,” Miller said.

In October Barents Observer and Russian news agency Tass reported that Miller had said in a Russian television interview that his company has been invited to explore for oil and gas in several blocks on the Alaska outer continental shelf, including blocks in the Chukchi Sea, Gazprom said.

“Mr. Miller said that a new round of talks with U.S. authorities is to be held, after which it is to be decided which blocks to be offered to the company,” Barents Observer said Oct. 22.

—Alan Bailey