Shell-BG Merger Opens New Ways for Cooperation With Russia’s Gazprom

The recent acquisition by the Royal Dutch Shell oil and gas company of its British rival BG Group creates new opportunities for further cooperation with the Russian energy giant Gazprom, Royal Dutch Shell Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden said Tuesday in a statement.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Monday, Royal Dutch Shell sealed the $53-billion purchase of BG Group, expecting the merger to accelerate growth in the liquefied natural gas market and enhance its deep water extraction capabilities.

"In Russia, the Shell-BG combination creates new opportunities for our partnership with Gazprom, taking into account the strong positions that both of our companies hold in the global gas market," van Beurden said.

In June 2015, Gazprom and the Anglo-Dutch Shell company signed a memorandum on the construction of a third technical line for a liquefied natural gas plant on Sakhalin Island off Russia’s Pacific Coast.

The Sakhalin-2 field is set to boost the first liquefied natural gas plant in Russia. The field is operated by Sakhalin Energy, in which Gazprom holds a 50 percent plus one share and Shell a 27.5 percent minus one share.