According to the news report, Gazprom is studying the French market for all possible areas of potential expansion including distribution, midstream infrastructure and even the CO2 emissions trading market.
Iouri Virobian, head of Gazprom’s French business unit, was quoted by Thomson Financial as saying that the French market was not open to competition, although it was fully liberalized in 2007. Regulated tariffs offered by local majors EDF and Gaz de France are potentially anti-competition, according to Mr Virobian.
Mr Virobian also said that Gazprom will approach the French market to be profitable and will not take to dumping in order to win market share, according to the news source.
