MOSCOW, May 2 (RIA Novosti) - Gazprom (RTS: GAZP) will announce partners for development of its vast Shtokman gas field in the next few days, the energy giant's official spokesman said Tuesday.
Sergei Kupriyanov said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) radio station that the selection process, which Gazprom had hoped to complete in April, had been extended because each of the five bidding proposals was highly distinctive and detailed.
"The bids submitted are all very different ... in terms of structure," he said, adding that there were "a large number of points" to each.
Unveiled last September, the shortlist of companies to work with Gazprom on the Shtokman project comprises Norway's Statoil and Norsk Hydro, France's Total, and U.S. giants Chevron and ConocoPhillips.
The deposit, off Russia's Arctic coast, holds an estimated 3.2 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 31 million metric tons of gas condensate.
Deputy Chair Alexander Ryazanov earlier said some $12-14 billion would be invested in the project's first phase and that production would start in 2011.
