MOSCOW, March 10 (UPI) -- Russian gas company Gazprom announced plans to start natural gas exploration on the country's western continental shelf this year.
Gazprom said it was planning to expand its resource potential for the region by exploiting the western Kamchatka continental shelf.
Pre-developments of natural gas fields in the region are under way, the company said.
Alexander Ananenkov, deputy chairman of the Gazprom management committee, said exploiting the assets in the region would provide economic and social benefits to the Kamchatka region.
Gazprom has plans to drill two gas production wells in the area and start construction of an onshore processing facility in 2011
The design capacity of the Kshukskoye field for 2011 is estimated at 6.1 billion cubic feet per year. The Nizhne-Kvakchikskoye field has a design capacity of 20.3 bcf per year.
Gazprom in a statement said the design of an 87-mile pipeline to sever the area is nearly completed.
