This year, work to supply the NKR towns of Martakert and Hadrut with gas is scheduled to begin, this according to Karlen Petrosyan, head of the NKR’s Department of Industrial Infrastructure. Mr. Petrosyan said that gas distribution work will also take place in the village of Nerkin Horatagh in the Martakert district and the village of Patara in Askeran. He said that as of January 1, 2010, some 23,347 apartments in the country had been registered as customers of the "ArtsakhGaz" utility.