Gazprom moved a Canadian liquefied natural gas terminal ahead by taking a stake and agreeing to supply all the gas needs from the Russian producer’s huge Shtokman project, the companies said.

Gazprom, the world’s largest natural gas company, is joining Enbridge Inc, Gaz Metro  and Gaz de France in developing the C$840 million ($840 million) Rabaska LNG project in Quebec, which has been stalled pending a secure supply of imported LNG. It will be the Russian firm’s first major investment in North America, Alexander Medvedev, deputy chairman of Gazprom’s management committee, said in a statement.
The companies did not disclose the size of stake Gazprom will acquire in the 500 million cubic feet a day project, to be located on the St. Lawrence River at Levis, Quebec Gas from the plant would supply the Quebec and Ontario markets.
Glenn Kelly, Rabaska’s president, said each of the partners is giving up a portion of its 1/3 share.
The project is now expected to go ahead in 2014, two to three years later than first envisioned.
That coincides with the planned startup of a liquefaction plant at Shtokman, located in the Barents Sea, 450 km (280 miles) northeast of Murmansk.
The Rabaska partners have all their regulatory approvals in place, but have yet to start building the project.