Russ Oil-Gas

Feb. 3, 2009 (Bloomberg by Stephen Bierman) - OAO Novatek Chief Executive Officer Leonid Mikhelson and his counterpart at OOO NGK Itera, Vladimir Makeev, are among candidates to join OAO Gazprom’s board, Kommersant reported, citing an unidentified person close to the Russian natural-gas exporter. Gazprom may also increase the number of independent board members to three or four, replacing directors now held by government, at a shareholders’ meeting on July 26, according to the Moscow-based newspaper.