Russ Oil-Gas

 RBC, 15.10.2008, Moscow 10:46:39 – Gazprom has found a way to supply between 1.5bn and 2bn cubic meters of natural gas to the Primorsky region by 2011 without buying it from the Sakhalin-1 consortium, the RBC Daily newspaper reported today. To this effect, the Russian gas monopoly may use the government's share of gas produced in the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects. A bill entitling Gazprom to sell the gas should have been submitted to the government before mid-September, in accordance with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's request. According to certain sources, however, the Energy Ministry is still working on the document, despite the fact that it has already been agreed upon with the Finance and Natural Resources Ministries, as well as with Gazprom. The gas holding, however, may face yet another challenge soon, as the Khabarovsk region has urged the government to ensure an increase in its gas supplies from 4.5bn to 6bn cubic meters.