Doris Leblond
OGJ Correspondent
PARIS, Nov. 27 -- Russia's gas giant Gazprom officially launched Gazprom Marketing & Trading France Nov. 24 in Paris to further develop a total upstream-to-downstream natural gas export strategy. Describing France as "a strategic market," it intends to sell gas directly to consumers rather than through wholesalers.
GM&T France, which started operations in October through UK subsidiary Gazprom Marketing & Trading Ltd., is targeting medium and large industrial and commercial customers.
Gazprom Vice-Pres. Alexander Medvedev said the aim is to supply, within the next 2-3 years, 2 billion cu m of gas directly to consumers in France and to have as many as 1,000 customers within 5 years.
GM&T France wants easier access to transport networks and infrastructure to deliver its gas "to the consumer's door," and Medvedev said Gazprom would acquire local companies and set up joint ventures for this purpose.
GM&T France has begun extending activities to electricity and is planning to become involved in CO2 emissions trading, oil products, and chemicals, said Medvedev.
However, Gazprom also said it would continue to maintain long-term gas supply contracts with Gaz de France, extending its 12 billion cu m/year contracts to 2035.
