Russia and the newly independent republics at the forefront of the energy scene

With one-third of the world's known reserves and 25 pc of the western European gas market, Gazprom, the russian biggest company, targets an annual production of 120 billion cubic metres by 2010-2013 thanks to the development of rich gas fields in Northern Siberia; numerous supply and transit deals have been signed with Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Turkey and China. The gigantic and unexploited oil and gas fields in Kazakhstan are to receive massive investments from foreign companies (US, Russia, China, Belgium...) for field exploitation and pipelines. Turkmenistan is also attracting foreign investment such as Technip from France for the modernization of a refinery