Gazprom picked up new gas fields without tender

Russian business daily Kommersant reports that the day before the new president's inauguration energy giant Gazprom was granted one third of Russia's undeveloped federal gas reserves. It says the Kremlin handed over nine gas deposits to Gazprom without go

But, the newspaper adds, the ministry that handed over the fields does not exist anymore after President Medvedev reshuffled his administration.

According to Kommersant, the gas deposits amount to almost 4 trillion cubic metres of gas, which will increase Gazprom's reserves by 13%.

The company will start developing the fields after 2015.