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Today, it’s impossible to imagine life without natural gas. "Blue cooking ring" radically changed the way of living, and conditions for people to exist. Gas is the source of heat, electric power, motor fuel, and raw material for the petrochemical industry. But initially gas was produced through coal dry treatment and used to light houses and streets.
In Russia, the first gas lamps were lit on the Aptekarsky island in St. Petersburg (1819). Later, on the initiative of foreign businessmen, a society for gas light of northern capital, with a monopoly for industrial production and sale of gas, emerged. By the end of the 19th century, besides Moscow and St. Petersburg, such cities as Kiev, Kharkov, Rostov-on-Don, Odessa, Riga, Vilno, Tver and Kazan were supplied with gas. Gradually, gas started to be used for industrial needs: glass melting, metal hardening, etc. Baku, a city in the largest oil-producing region of the Russian Empire, consumed 33 mln m3 of natural gas (1917).
The Soviet Union economy annually consumed 10-15 mln m3 of gas in the early 1930s; a decade later this figure grew up to 3,392 mln m3 (the USA recovered 50 bcm of gas). In 1942, gas fields containing hundreds of millions of cubic meters of gas were discovered in the Kuibyshev region. At the same time, the development of one of the largest gas field began near the village of Elshanka. Gas was used in Saratov’s industry. In 1943, the first Soviet 160-kilometers-long gas pipeline Bouguruslan-Kuibyshev was commissioned.
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In the Soviet Union, the history of "large gas" began with the commissioning of the 843 kilometers long gas pipeline Saratov-Moscow. On the 11th July 1946, gas was first delivered came to Saratov's manufacturing plants, power plants, and Moscovites' houses.
In December 1950, another gas pipeline, Dashava-Kiev-Bryansk-Moscow, was brought into operation. In summer of 1955 construction of the gas pipeline "Tula-Moscow" was completed. At yearend of 1956, the world’s first multi-line gas trunk Stavropol-Moscow was introduced. Since August 1959, the 2nd loop of gas pipeline system Northern Caucasus-Centre is in operation. In the early 1960-s gas produced from Shebelinsky field was used for to cover the capital's needs.
During the same period, the development of Central Asian gas fields was started. The gas pipelines Central Asia-Centre and Boukhara-Urals were built. The development of the Orenburg gas resources was under way. A 2,750-km long export gas pipeline Soyuz was built. Starting from 1970, natural gas from the Vuktylsky field in Komi ASSR comes to the central part of the country through the gas pipeline Northern Lights.
The year of 1966 was marked by an important event. "The Siberian period" was opened in the development of the national gas industry. The list of the world-class gas fields was added under the name of Urengoy. "Blue fuel" from Siberia came to the capital and other cities. On the 5th of November 1982, the 1st tcm of gas was recovered in the Tyumen region. The Siberian gasmen produced more than a half of country's fuel in 1983.
In the Soviet Union, natural gas production grew 4.8 times in the second half of the 1970-s. In 1984, the USSR became the world’s biggest gas producer (587 bcm of gas per year). The Urengoy-Uzhgorod pipeline was built. In France, the ceremony devoted to the commissioning the transcontinental, the 20,000-km long gas pipeline Western Siberia-Western Europe was held.
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Since 1984, the Yamburg gas condensate field has been developed. Two years later, Yamburg gas first entered the gas pipeline. In August 1987, Yamburg gas came to Western Ukraine. Commissioning of the trunk gas pipeline Ananiev-Bogorodchany (530 km) made it possible to increase export supplies. In January 1988, a 120-km long gas pipeline laid in southern Moldavia and Ukraine connected the polar city of Yamburg with Odessa. In summer 1988, the first commercial gas was transported through the pipeline Yamburg - Western boundary of the USSR.
By 1986, the United Gas Transmission System comprised approximately 160,000 km of gas mains and branches, about 350 compressor stations, over 270 field facilities for complex gas treatment, several thousands of wells and 2 dozens of underground storage facilities. In 1992, gas production record was registered in the former Soviet Union - over 815 bcm.
Established in 1948, the Natural Gas Production Head Department set up at the Ministry of Oil Industry (Minnefteprom), was the first state producing organization of gasmen.
In 1956, this Department was reorganized into the Head Department of the Gas Industry at the Council of Ministers of the USSR (Glavgaz). In 1963, the State Production Committee of the Gas Industry of the USSR was established.
In 1965, the Ministry of the Gas Industry started to work. Later on, the Ministry of Construction of Facilities for the Oil and Gas Industry (Minneftegazstroy) was separated (1972).
In 1956, the Department was reorganized into the Head Department of the Gas Industry at the Council of ministers of the USSR (Glavgaz). In 1963, the State Production Committee of the Gas Industry of the USSR, was established.
In 1989, the State gas concern Gazprom was founded on the basis of the Ministry of Gas Industry. Later on, in 1993, the concern was reorganized into the Russian joint-stock company "Gazprom" (RAO "Gazprom") and in 1998 was renamed into Open joint-stock company "Gazprom" (OAO "Gazprom").