Russ Oil-Gas

14 May 2008 - Upstream OnLine - The Russian government has handed gas giant Gazprom the exclusive rights to develop nine northern gas deposits without a tender or bid process. The government said the fields include seven onshore deposits in the Yamalo-Nenets region, as well as two deposits in the Karskoye and Okhotskoye seas – including Kirinsky field, part of the Sakhalin 3 development – and have a combined total gas reserves estimated at over 2 trillion billion cubic metres. The fields are on the list of deposits of federal importance, meaning they are off-limits to international explorers. This is the government’s second tender-free award to Gazprom. Last month, the government handed Gazprom the rights to develop the Chayanda field, in Siberia, which has estimated gas reserves of 1.2 trillion cubic metres, also in a tender-free transfer, Reuters said.