``Gazprom is looking into this possibility and such a decision could be taken in the very near future,'' Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Compiegne, near Paris, today after meeting President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Gazprom is counting on Shtokman to revive sagging production growth as world demand for gas soars. The Barents Sea field may hold as much as 4.4 trillion cubic meters of gas. Gazprom had planned to make the field its first effort to produce liquefied natural gas for shipment to the U.S.
The state-controlled company put off naming partners for the project until the end of the year, after the U.S. and Russia failed to reach an agreement on Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization during the Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg, the Wall Street Journal reported July 17.
In Compiegne today, Putin again said that Russia will fulfill its obligations to its oil and gas customers in the face of mounting concern over Russia's role in ensuring global energy security.
``Our plans to develop transport infrastructure are not directed against anyone,'' he said.
Putin said that deliveries from the Shtokman field could ensure supplies for 50 to 70 years, helping to maintain stability in Europe's economy.
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