Gazprom is one of the world’s largest energy companies with major business operations in geological exploration, production, transportation, storage, processing and marketing of hydrocarbons as well as generation and marketing of heat and electric power. Gazprom’s mission is to “ensure maximally efficient and balanced gas supply to Russian customers and reliably fulfill long-term gas export contracts”.
Gazprom is both an energy producer and supplier with a strong resource base and a diverse gas transport infrastructure. With this strategic position the company has the potential to become an energy “bridge” between the European and Asian markets by supplying its own natural gas and providing gas transit services for other producers.
Gazprom ]Group is the world’s largest company of natural gas reserves. Due to an increase in the volume of geologic exploration and the receipt of licenses for the subsoil use, the Group’s natural gas reserves (categories A+B+C1) increased by 11.2% and were estimated at 33.1 tcm as of December 31, 2008.
The main buyers of Russian gas are Turkey, Italy, France and Germany. Gazprom is the only supplier of gas to the regulated sector of the Russian market.
Gazprom seeks to protect the environment through energy conservation, namely on efficient utilization of natural gas, electric and thermal power, diesel and boiler-furnace fuel in all of its businesses. The energy conservation efforts in 2008 resulted in saving 2.4 billion cubic meters of gas, 250.8 million kW/h of electricity and 204.6 Gcal of heat.