ARMRUSGASPROM ENVISAGES TO SELL TO POPULATION NATURAL GAS OF 40-50
MLN USD THIS YEAR

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The director general of the
ArmRusgasprom company Karen Karapetian stated at the March 11 press
conference that as of January 1, 2005, 41 towns and 316 village
communities of Armenia were supplied with gas, 270 thousand consumers
(or 55.6% of the Soviet time consumers) used services of the system.
The company will invest 21 bln 562 mln drams (about 45 mln USD) in
the system in the next three years, with 17 bln drams being used
for restoring the gas supply and supplying gas to new consumers.
According to the director general, the 2005-2007 investment program
envisages supplying gas also to the communities which previously did
not have gas. According to K.Karapetian, in January and February of
2005, gas consumption in Armenia exceeded by 87 mln cubic meters the
index of the same period of 2004. In 2001, the population bought gas of
4-5 mln USD, while this year it is envidaged to increase this figure
to 40-50 mln USD. The speaker also noted that it is planned to carry
out repairs of 3-4 mln dollars in the Abovian gas depository this year.