Gazprom and Ukraine have agreed to remove all intermediaries in gas trade. “There is no need for them now after we agreed to supply Ukraine’s industrial consumers directly with some volumes and given the upcoming rise in the Central Asian gas price,” said a Gazprom spokesman. Russian explorer Timan Oil & Gas was “very pleased” that a Moscow court had dismissed an appeal from Rosnedra, a government agency, to deny it a license. Speaking at a timber industry conference, Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov announced that the government will back the construction of 30 new plants to produce biofuels.