By Gleb Bryanski
YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, Russia, March 20 (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed freeing up energy for Japan by increasing gas supplies to Europe and offered Japanese companies a slice of Siberia's gas industry.
Putin, paramount leader of the world's biggest energy producer, offered Japanese companies stakes in two Siberian gas fields which have total reserves of about 3.2 trillion cubic metres (tcm), more than the world's annual gas consumption.
Putin said Russian gas monopoly Gazprom was ready to raise gas deliveries to Europe by 60 million cubic metres (mcm) a day to allow more liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes to go to Japan.
'We will increase deliveries of pipeline gas to Europe while LNG tankers destined for Europe (can) turn around and head for Japan instead,' Putin told a meeting in the Far Eastern city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 1,000 km (600 miles) north of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.
Russia will raise the proposal with the European Union in the near future, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
'This is a case when the coordination of efforts by the global economic community is required,' Peskov said. Russia supplies about a quarter of Europe's gas needs.
Putin's proposal, apart from indicating Russian concern at the impact of Japan's troubles on its future energy demand, may allow Moscow to claw back some gas sales in Europe from Qatar, which has been eating up Russia's market there.
SIBERIAN GAS
Gazprom Deputy CEO Alexander Ananenkov said supplying European customers with 60 million cubic metres of pipeline gas would free up 40,000 tonnes of LNG.
'It is possible to do immediately, right now. Such large scale swap operation between Russia and the European Union will provide real help for Japan,' Putin said.
Ananenkov said that the proposal would involve European LNG buyers transferring the property rights for their LNG cargoes to Gazprom in the swap.
Putin said Japanese companies could discuss buying stakes in Eastern Siberia's Kovykta gas field, which holds over 2 tcm of gas, and the Chayanda field in Yakutia, which has reserves of about 1.2 tcm.
'We are offering Japanese companies the opportunity to enter some of the biggest energy projects of the Far East and Siberia, to invest capital and technology to develop large scale deposits such as Kovykta and Chayanda,' Putin said.
Since Japan's devastating earthquake, Putin has ordered officials to speed up the development of energy projects in the Far East to cope with future demand from Japan.
Gazprom is planning to speed up work on the Sakhalin-3 energy project and the Energy Ministry plans to speed up the oil pipeline which takes Eastern Siberian crude to Kozmino.
(Reporting by Gleb Bryanski; Writing by Lidia Kelly and Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Paul Taylor) Keywords: JAPAN QUAKE/PUTIN ENERGY (lidia.kelly@thomsonreuters.com; +7 495 775 1242) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, Russia, March 20 (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed freeing up energy for Japan by increasing gas supplies to Europe and offered Japanese companies a slice of Siberia's gas industry.
Putin, paramount leader of the world's biggest energy producer, offered Japanese companies stakes in two Siberian gas fields which have total reserves of about 3.2 trillion cubic metres (tcm), more than the world's annual gas consumption.
Putin said Russian gas monopoly Gazprom was ready to raise gas deliveries to Europe by 60 million cubic metres (mcm) a day to allow more liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes to go to Japan.
'We will increase deliveries of pipeline gas to Europe while LNG tankers destined for Europe (can) turn around and head for Japan instead,' Putin told a meeting in the Far Eastern city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 1,000 km (600 miles) north of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.
Russia will raise the proposal with the European Union in the near future, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
'This is a case when the coordination of efforts by the global economic community is required,' Peskov said. Russia supplies about a quarter of Europe's gas needs.
Putin's proposal, apart from indicating Russian concern at the impact of Japan's troubles on its future energy demand, may allow Moscow to claw back some gas sales in Europe from Qatar, which has been eating up Russia's market there.
SIBERIAN GAS
Gazprom Deputy CEO Alexander Ananenkov said supplying European customers with 60 million cubic metres of pipeline gas would free up 40,000 tonnes of LNG.
'It is possible to do immediately, right now. Such large scale swap operation between Russia and the European Union will provide real help for Japan,' Putin said.
Ananenkov said that the proposal would involve European LNG buyers transferring the property rights for their LNG cargoes to Gazprom in the swap.
Putin said Japanese companies could discuss buying stakes in Eastern Siberia's Kovykta gas field, which holds over 2 tcm of gas, and the Chayanda field in Yakutia, which has reserves of about 1.2 tcm.
'We are offering Japanese companies the opportunity to enter some of the biggest energy projects of the Far East and Siberia, to invest capital and technology to develop large scale deposits such as Kovykta and Chayanda,' Putin said.
Since Japan's devastating earthquake, Putin has ordered officials to speed up the development of energy projects in the Far East to cope with future demand from Japan.
Gazprom is planning to speed up work on the Sakhalin-3 energy project and the Energy Ministry plans to speed up the oil pipeline which takes Eastern Siberian crude to Kozmino.
(Reporting by Gleb Bryanski; Writing by Lidia Kelly and Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Paul Taylor) Keywords: JAPAN QUAKE/PUTIN ENERGY (lidia.kelly@thomsonreuters.com; +7 495 775 1242) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.