A special company to operate the Shtokman project is to be set up in January 2008, Sevmorneftegaz's Deputy General Director Rudolf Ter-Sarkisov told the Neftegazshelf-2007 conference today, RBC reports. Sevmorneftegaz, Gazprom's wholly owned subsidiary, is licensed to develop the Shtokman field. According to Ter-Sarkisov, the structure of the new company has been already outlined.
Earlier, partners engaged in the project, Gazprom, Total (France) and StatoilHydro (Norway), said they were set to create a special company to design, finance, build and operate facilities during the project's first stage by December 20, 2007. Gazprom will get 51, Total 25 and StatoilHydro 24 percent in the new company, with Gazprom retaining 100 percent in Sevmorneftegaz and all rights to the produced hydrocarbons and rights to sell them.