The respective heads of Russia's Gazprom and Petro-Canada, Alexei Miller and Ron Brenneman, have held talks in Moscow over the possibility of Gazprom supplying LNG to North America.
According to a statement from the state-backed Russian gas company, the two men discussed the results of a joint feasibility study into the construction of an LNG facility near St Petersburg.
Gazprom plans to launch swap supplies of LNG to North America before the end of the year. It will continue such supplies on the basis of mid-term contracts with American companies over the 2006-09 period, after which it will begin direct supplies to the US under long-term contracts.