Russian gas monopoly OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) plans to invest a total of 920 billion rubles ($32.95 billion) in 2009, part of which may be provided by the state, Chief Executive Alexei Miller told reporters Wednesday.
Miller said state funding would be cheaper than other sources and that 25% of investments in 2009 and 2010 had been earmarked for a big, new project on the Yamal peninsular, where Gazprom began drilling Wednesday.
He added that Gazprom hadn't decided whether to build a liquified natural gas plant on Yamal, but that should such a project go ahead, it would do so together with an international partner.