Conference of International Partnership Management Committee “Methane – to Markets”

Regular Conference of International Partnership Management Committee (“Methane – to Markets”)* on the subject of commercial use of methane resources was held from 30 of October to 1 of November 2007.

Conference of Management Committee covered an amount of different issues including reports about research activities of Partnership member states in the field of reduction of methane emissions and implementation of methane project programs, as well as debates concerned to strategic planning with respect to Partnership joint cooperation for the purpose of the partnership engineering network expansion and informational coverage of Partnership functions both on the national and international levels.

In terms of Conference, Management Committee approved the EU application for its membership in Partnership “Methane – to markets”.

Besides, Conference of International Partnership Management Committee “Methane – to markets” was supported by World Show Forum “International Market of Methane Technologies” to be considered as the first world event arranged on the initiative of Partnership “Methane – to markets” for the purpose of promotion of methane commercial utilization technologies and projects.

On the part of China, PRC National Development and Reforming Committee, as well as PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC Ministry of Construction, PRC Ministry of Agriculture and PRC Government Labor Safety Service were the Chinese Government authorities to take part in organization of World Show Forum. Apart from the member states of International Partnership “Methane – to markets”, Show Forum was supported by International Energy Agency, U.N.O Committee for Europe Economic Cooperation and World Bank.

More than 700 participants representing 34 countries visited show ”Methane – to markets”. Visitors could inspect a number of methane commercial utilization projects, technologies, financial mechanisms and programs. Among the guests of Show, such companies as Marubeni Corporation, Caterpillar, AAGI, Green Gas, Climate Change Capital, Cola India Corporation were presented.

Being supported by Non-Commercial Partnership “International Information, Education and Consulting Energy Conservation Center” (Research Company “INKO” (http://www.incot.ru/)), representatives of Rosnauka arranged a joint booth, where more than thirty promising Russian methane utilization project developments were displayed. Russian exposition was principally sponsored by OJSC “Siberian Coal Power-Producing Company” (SCPPC).

Show displayed the new technologies, as well as accompanying gas recovery equipment, facilities to be used for gathering and utilization of methane generated from various sources – coal beds, oil and gas systems, agricultural remains and landfills.

For detailed information about Show, please, visit “INKO” Website http://www.incot.ru/.

Except of the above events (including Show) to have been held by Management Committee, the matters of methane commercial utilization, barriers affecting project development and methods of their elimination taking into account specific character of methane sources were analyzed at Round Tables. Also, some potential methane projects were presented with respect to every 4^th area of Partnership activity – utilization of shaft methane, oil-gas system methane, landfill methane and agricultural waste methane. In total, more than 90 projects to be developed for reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 2015 down to the volume of 11.5 Mt were presented.

Oil and Gas System Subcommittee represented by Co-chairman Russian Professor K.S. Basniyev was of great interest for all the participants. Within the bounds of the above subcommittee devoted to the matter of “Production and Utilization of Accompanying Gas”, two reports were made – “Prospects of utilization and recycling of accompanying gas for the purpose of increase of oil pool efficiency” authored by scientific personnel of OJSC “The Academician A.P. Krylov All-Russian Oil and Gas Research Institute” consisting of Kryanov D.Yu and Tolokonskaya L.D and “Utilization of Accompanying Gas” authored by Basniyev K.S (the I.M. Gubkin Russian State Oil and Gas University).

* Reference: International Partnership “Methane – to markets” was instituted in 2004 on the initiative of “Group of Eight” for the purpose of multilateral international cooperation in the field of commercial utilization of methane generated by coal shafts, oil and gas systems, landfills (domestic waste polygons) and agricultural remains.

Major objective of Partnership “Methane – to market” is directed to promotion and implementation of technologies developed for gathering (recovery) of methane and its subsequent utilization as a valuable and ecological source of energy. Partnership is established for international coordination of world activities to be held by different countries, for assistance in exchange of information and know-how, as well as for development of cooperation between various national organizations including those operating in terms of different international projects.

Partnership members: Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, India, Italia, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Great Britain and USA.

Federal Science and Innovation Agency (Rosnauka) is a body to be authorized for managing Russian Public Services and Organizations.