ST. PETERSBURG, January 19 - RAPSI. A court will hear on March 5 Gazprom subsidiary's $535,700 lawsuit against state-owned Pikalevo thermal power network and Pikalevo administration, according to court records.

Pikalevo is a town in Leningrad Region.

Gazprom Mezhregiongaz St. Petersburg told RIA Novosti it claims the debt for gas supplies from August to November of 2011.

The St. Petersburg Commercial Court heard a similar case last year when Gazprom Mezhregiongaz sued Pikalevo network company for 5.9 million rubles ($187,000) and Pikalevo administration - for 6.4 million rubles ($203,000) to recover gas supplies payment arrears for January- July 2011. In October the plaintiff withdrew its claim after Pikalevo repaid the debt.

Pikalevo faced financial troubles in 2009 as a result of an economic turmoil and temporary shutdown of three local production facilities which could not agree on the raw material prices. As soon as the regional economy recovered from the crisis the local authorities embarked on the development of an industrial zone in Pikalevo. The project is expected to create about 3,000 jobs by its completion in 2014.

Gazprom Mezhregiongaz St. Petersburg is a major gas supplier in the North-Western federal district of Russia. It annually supplies over 19 billion cubic meters of gas to the population as well as state-financed and private enterprises in St. Petersburg, Leningrad Region, Kaliningrad Region and Karelia.