Gazprom is to supply gas directly to French homes and firms for the first time through a deal with Gaz de France.
The Russian firm will start supplying French customers in July, providing 1.5 billion cubic metres a year to them.
The two firms have extended existing supply contracts to 2030, enabling Gazprom to deliver an extra 2.5 billion cubic metres a year to western Europe.
Gazprom is expanding rapidly across Europe and has been linked with a bid for British energy firm Centrica.
Long-term partners
As a monopoly supplier in Russia, Gazprom is looking to foreign markets for future growth.
It supplied France with 13 billion cubic metres of gas last year and this is set to increase.
Gazprom and Gaz de France have been doing business with each other since 1975 but their partnership was expanded in 2003 to include co-operation in areas such as storage, transmission, training and the sale of liquefied natural gas.
Gaz de France currently sources just under a quarter of its gas from Russia, while Russia is France’s second-largest gas supplier after Norway.
The French firm said the deal cemented its relationship with Gazprom and ensured the diversity of its gas supplies.
“The extension of our commercial co-operation with Gazprom helps to ensure the long-term reliability of our customers’ supply in France and in Europe,” said Jean-Francois Cirelli, Gaz de France’s chief executive.
Gazprom said the deal reflected its strategy of finding new customers across Europe.
It comes just days after it concluded a long-term contract to supply gas to Bulgaria.
Separately, Russian oil firm Lukoil has confirmed it is to buy 376 petrol stations across western Europe from US company ConocoPhillips.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/6192999.stm
Published: 2006/12/19 11:59:40 GMT
© BBC MMVI
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Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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