Moldova, Romania to Expand Iasi-Ungheni Pipeline to Chisinau with Aid from EU

CHISINAU, September 10 (RIA Novosti) - The European Union will allocate 10 million euros ($12.9 million) to expand the Iasi-Ungheni pipeline to Chisinau, the official website of the Moldovan Economy Ministry reported.

"The European Union will provide 10 million euros for the expansion of the Iasi-Ungheni pipeline. The pipeline will be extended to Chisinau," the ministry's website stated. Previously, the Economy Ministry directly reported that the project aims to reduce dependence on Russian gas.

The Iasi-Ungheni pipeline was commissioned on August 27, 2014. Its length on the Romanian territory is 32 kilometers (19.8 miles). Some 736 meters (about 2400 feet) have been constructed under the river Prut, and another 11 kilometers are located on the territory of Moldova. Its construction has required 26 million euros ($33.5 millions), seven million ($9 million) of which have been granted by the European Union. The country's authorities have stated that the first stream of “blue fuel" will arrive at the beginning of September, but the pipeline is still not operable yet.
[ria.ru]
10/9/14
--
-
 

Romania not ready to export gas to Moldova

Last year Romania started EU-supported construction of a 43-kilometer pipeline Iasi-Ungheni to connect Moldova to the Romanian gas transportation network...

BUCHAREST, February 4. /ITAR-TASS/. Romania will not start exporting gas until it has entirely satisfied its internal needs, Romania’s Minister of Energy Constantin Nita said in an interview released by the state agency AGERPRES Tuesday.
“I want to reassure everybody who thinks we’ll be exporting gas just like that. First we should satisfy our own demand for gas, as we cannot start exporting it thereby leaving Romanian customers and industrial plants without fuel,” the minister said.

Romania’s export opportunities depend on the future development of petroleum products projects in Black Sea offshore near the Snake Island, as well as exploration of shale gas fields, he added.
About 80% of Romania’s natural gas needs are satisfied by domestic resources; the rest is purchased from the Russian monopoly Gazprom.
Last year Romania started EU-supported construction of a 43-kilometer pipeline Iasi-Ungheni to connect Moldova to the Romanian gas transportation network. According to the project’s participants, this will give Moldova an alternative source of gas supplies.
Moldova’s annual gas needs are 1.3 billion cubic meters of gas entirely imported from Russia.
http://en.itar-tass.com/economy/717554
4/2/14
--
-