Gazprom delivered the LNG to the U.S. according to contracts, under which the LNG was purchased from the British Gas Group and sold to Shell Western BV companies for sale on the U.S. market.
"Today we have raised the Russian flag on the American LNG market," Alexander Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Gazprom and the general director of Gazexport, said. "We came here with serious intentions and we intend to stay. We have a contractual base, which enables Gazprom not only to access the LNG but also to carry out regular deliveries to North America for the short and long term. Our strategic aim is to organize the direct deliveries of LNG in long-term contracts," he said.
Medvedev said Gazprom's cooperation with partners "increases reliability of energy deliveries in the whole world and opens new possibilities for the mutually beneficial integration of the Russian and American energy sectors."
Gazprom plans to continue LNG deliveries in 2006-2009 in short- and long-term contracts and to begin direct delivery of LNG under long-term contracts after 2010.
Gazprom has already signed memorandums on mutual understanding with Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Sempra Energy. The documents envisage Gazprom participation in projects of LNG regasification in the U.S., the marketing of natural gas deliveries to the U.S., the joint use of North American pipelines, and partnerships in LNG production in Russia. The company also signed documents with other non-American companies, including Statoil, Hydro, Petro-Canada, Shell, and Total.