Gazprom International Held Series of Meetings in Tanzania

A group of specialists from Gazprom International, the sole operator of Gazprom's hydrocarbon prospecting, exploration and development projects outside the Russian Federation, has returned from a working visit to the economic capital of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dar-es-Salaam.

During the visit which took place on 21–24 January, the delegation, which included Alexey Shebarshin (Deputy Director for Government Affairs and International Relations), Sergey Karnaukhov (Chief Geologist), Vladimir Ilyanin (Deputy Director for Business Development) and Ivan Glumov (Advisor to the Head of Gazprom International), held a series of meetings with representatives from Tanzania's Ministry of Energy and Minerals and TPDC (the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation). The Gazprom International representatives were also received by Alexander Rannikh, the Russian Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania.

The participants in the negotiations explained their interest in working together to develop the potential of Tanzania's offshore oil and gas fields, as well as its inland sites, including Lake Tanganyika.

Taking into account the Tanzanian government's conditions for tender participants, potential partners and strategic investors, Gazprom International intends to complete its analysis of geological and geophysical surveys and other information in the near future in order to make an informed decision on the prospects for working in Tanzania.

The United Republic of Tanzania is located in East Africa on the Indian Ocean and is a mostly agrarian country. Agriculture accounts for around half of its total GDP.

Tanzania is now following an industrialisation programme which should bring the country to a higher level of development, raise its economic performance, improve fuel security and lead to significantly higher levels of employment and income by 2025. Relationships are being actively developed with China, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea and several other countries interested in gaining access to Tanzania's mineral resources.

Tanzania is mainly dependent on hydropower, oil and wood fuels. Practically all oil is imported and some is generated into fuel at a refinery in Dar-es-Salaam.

The country has considerable stocks of mineral resources, including natural gas, estimated in early 2012 at 1.7 trillion cubic metres. In mid-2012, Tanzania's Zafarani gas field was opened, with reserves of 170 billion cubic metres.