Gazprom Mulls New Gas Supply Deal with China, Eyes Indian Market: CEO

Increasing natural gas exports to Asia and the potential effects of the Ukrainian crisis on exports to Europe are topping the international agenda of Russian gas giant Gazprom, CEO Alexei Miller suggested Friday at a news conference following the company's annual shareholders' meeting.

Gazprom also is looking to expand cooperation Japan and by year's end expects to sign binding agreements with leading Japanese energy companies on supplies from the planned Vladivostok LNG export project, Miller said, providing no further details.

But Miller said Gazprom is unaware of Naftogaz's desire to renegotiate the transit deal. "Naftogaz has not raised this issue to Gazprom, neither in talks nor in written form," Miller said at the briefing. He added, however, that any such plan would be "very bad news."

Ukraine has been considering a joint venture with EU and US companies to run the gas network, but has no current plans to invite Russia to participate.

But several years ago establishing a consortium of Russia, Ukraine and the EU to run the gas network was high on the agenda.

(platts.com Edited by Topco)