Gazprom and OMV hold first meeting of Coordinating Committee for scientific & technical cooperation and partnership

Press Release, November 21, 2016 - 03:00 pm (CET)

The Coordinating Committee for scientific & technical cooperation and partnership between Gazprom and OMV held its first meeting in Moscow.

The meeting was run by the Committee Co-Chairmen Oleg Aksyutin, Member of the Management Committee, Head of Department of Gazprom, and Johann Pleininger, OMV Executive Board Member responsible for Upstream.
 
The meeting addressed prospective joint efforts in the main areas of cooperation outlined in the 2016-2020 Program for scientific & technical cooperation and partnership between Gazprom and OMV. In addition, the participants delivered presentations on such topics as the role of natural gas in the European energy mix, small-scale LNG shipping technologies, drilling performance management, efficiency improvement in low pressure gas production, and environmental safety at oil and gas facilities.
 
The parties commended Russia’s and Austria’s specialized higher education institutions, namely the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas and Montanuniversität Leoben, for actively promoting scientific and technical cooperation between Gazprom and OMV. In 2017, the universities envisage to launch a dual-degree master’s program with aligned curriculum for profession-oriented courses. It is also planned to engage postgraduates and professors of the universities in joint R&D activities within the focus areas of the Program for scientific & technical cooperation and partnership between Gazprom and OMV.
 
 
Background
 
OMV is Gazprom’s main partner in Austria.
 
On April 1, 2016, Gazprom and OMV signed the Agreement for scientific & technical cooperation and partnership.
 
On June 16, 2016, in furtherance of the accords reached earlier, Gazprom and OMV signed the 2016–2020 Program for scientific & technical cooperation and partnership. Pursuant to the document, the parties will jointly study energy market prospects and effective drilling technologies, as well as oil and gas production and processing technologies.
 
On October 4, 2016, the four-party Agreement for scientific & technical cooperation and partnership was inked by Gazprom, OMV, Montanuniversität Leoben and the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas.