Shell, Gazprom consider LNG for Japan

MOSCOW, April 13 (UPI) -- Royal Dutch Shell and Russian gas monopoly Gazprom reviewed ways to send more natural gas to Japan following last month's earthquake, an executive said.

Shell and Gazprom are working jointly on natural gas projects in Sakhalin island off the eastern coast of Russia.

Peter Voser, chief executive officer at Shell, met in Moscow with Gazprom chief Alexei Miller to discuss ways to increase gas deliveries to Japan.

A 9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami March 11 crippled the nuclear power infrastructure in Japan, creating an energy deficit in the island nation.

A Gazprom spokesman was quoted by The Telegraph newspaper as saying energy in the form of liquefied natural gas could help allay Japanese energy concerns.

"While discussing the situation on global energy markets, both sides considered the issue of increasing LNG supplies to Japan from the Sakhalin-2 project as the fastest way to stabilize power supply for its consumers," a spokesman said.

Japan is the fourth-largest energy consumer in the world but produces very little of its own energy. It's the largest importer of LNG in the world.