Gazprom into Alaska Chukchi exploration?

Barents Observer and Russian news agency Tass have both reported that Alexei Miller, chairman of Russian energy giant Gazprom, said in a Russian television interview that his company has been invited to explore for oil and gas in several blocks on the Alaska outer continental shelf, including blocks in the Chukchi Sea.

“Mr. Miller said that a new round of talks with U.S. authorities is to be held, after which it is to be decided which blocks to be offered to the company,” Barents Observer said Oct. 22.

Miller was one of the members of a Gazprom delegation that visited Alaska during the week of Oct. 13. During that visit the Gazprom executives met with senior personnel from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, senior managers of Arctic Slope Regional Corp., Jim Mulva, chief executive of ConocoPhillips, and with former Alaska Gov. Wally Hickel.

“It was emphasized at the meetings and seminars that the working conditions in the traditional areas of Gazprom’s business activity were similar to the ones in Alaska,” Gazprom said in an Oct. 14 press release about the Alaska visit. “Gazprom has gained an extensive experience in hydrocarbon field development, gas pipeline construction and operation, environmental protection and resolution of social problems in the Extreme North environment. Gazprom’s experience will be used while implementing similar projects in Alaska.”

During a conference call with investors on Oct. 22, Mulva was asked about the nature of the Gazprom meetings and said, “I don’t think it’s probably appropriate for me to get into that. We just a week or two ago met with Alexei Miller, the CEO of Gazprom, and we are discussing several of those opportunities, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to go through what specifically they may be.”

The U.S. Minerals Management Service issues oil and gas leases for Alaska outer continental shelf exploration. Leases are issued as a result of competitive lease sales. The next MMS Chukchi Sea lease sale is scheduled to be held in 2010.

—Alan Bailey