Russia tightens energy grip amid 'reverse flow' gas trade

 While the EU prepares to apply a new round of sanctions against Russian energy companies, Poland, Slovakia and Austria have announced delivery shortfalls in their Russian gas imports being piped through Ukraine.

Ukraine started reverse flow of gas imports from Europe through Slovakia, Poland, Austria and Hungary, after Russia halted gas exports to Ukraine in June.

So-called ‘reverse flows’ occur when countries in Europe send gas back down pipelines usually used to carry Russian gas through Ukraine to the West.

On Thursday, Poland’s national gas company PGNiG announced that Russia reduced gas deliveries to Poland by up to 45 percent. Following the announcement, Slovakian gas company SPP and Austrian energy regulation department announced similar decreases, by 10 and 15 percent respectively.

Slovakia has the capacity to supply up to 20 million cubic meters of gas per day to Ukraine, and the two countries struck an agreement on gas trade on September 2.

Poland has been sending 3-4 million cubic meters of gas to Ukraine; however, yesterday’s shortfall in Russian gas has caused the country to temporarily stop its gas exports to Ukraine.

Hungary, another east European neighbor of Ukraine, has been sending up to 5 million cubic meters of gas to Ukraine daily, although the country has the capacity of 15 million.

Russian monopoly Gazprom has strongly criticized the trade of Russian gas via reverse flows; the company says the re-export of Russian gas is against its contracts with the countries involved in such trade.

Consuming about 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, Ukraine was importing some 60 percent of its gas from Russia.
By E. Gürkan Abay
www.aa.com.tr/en
12/9/14
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Ukraine launches reverse-flow gas deliveries from Slovakia (Naftogaz)

KIEV, September 02. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine has launched reverse-flow gas deliveries from Slovakia, the head of Ukraine’s national energy company Naftogaz, Andriy Kobolev, posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday. “A lot is in store yet, but this is a major step,” he said.

ITAR-TASS reported earlier that on April 28, 2014 Ukraine’s Ukrtransgaz and Slovakian gas operator Eustream signed a memorandum on mutual understanding to ensure reverse-flow gas deliveries to Ukraine through the Vojany-Uzhgorod pipeline. The pipeline’s capacity is no more than 27 million cubic meters of gas a day or 10 billion cubic meters a year.
Naftogaz of Ukraine has reserved these capacities for reverse-flow gas supplies from Slovakia until the end of 2019. “Supplies will begin on a regular basis in September, subject to certain technical conditions, and will become permanent from March 2015,” Eustream spokesperson Vahram Chuguryan said earlier.

Test reverse-flow gas supplies from Slovakia to Ukraine began on August 16 with daily amounts up to two billion cubic meters. Then it became known that testing of Vojany-Uzhgorod would continue till the end of August.......................http://en.itar-tass.com/economy/7477412/9/14
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Related:

• Ukraine, Slovakia Sign Memorandum on Reverse Gas Deliveries

• Kiev Again Rejects Russia’s Gas Discount Compromise Offer (Ukraine Energy Minister)

• Ukraine starts test gas imports from Slovakia(17/8/14)

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• Gazprom: Ο εφοδιασμός της Ουκρανίας με φυσικό αέριο μέσω... Λαμίας αντιτίθεται στη συμφωνία που έχουμε υπογράψει

  

Ukraine starts test gas imports from Slovakia

Ukraine has begun test imports of gas from Slovakia via an upgraded pipeline, the head of Ukrainian state-owned gas company Naftogaz said on Aug. 16, as the country tries to secure greater energy independence from Russia.

Last year, Russia supplied about half of the gas Ukraine used, but Gazprom cut supplies on June 16 in a row over pricing and in the wake of Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.

Russia has come under heavy Western sanctions over its move on Crimea and accusations it is supporting separatists in east Ukraine with troops and funds, claims it denies.

Ukraine, which is trying to source more gas from the European Union and cut consumption levels from last year’s 50 billion cubic meters (bcm), hopes to increase its own annual gas production from current levels of 20 billion cubic meters (bcm).

The Slovak pipeline – an upgraded older link leading from the Vojany power station near the Ukrainian border to the western Ukrainian town of Uzhorod – can supply up to 10 bcm of gas a year.  “Test pumping of gas has started from Slovakia to Ukraine via Vojany-Uzhorod. This pipeline could supply up to 40 percent of the country’s gas import needs,” Naftogaz chief executive Andriy Kobolev said in a post on Facebook.  The test imports from Slovakia amount to 2 million cubic metres a day, a spokesman for the state pipeline operator Ukrtransgaz said. 
AFP
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ukraine-starts-test-gas-imports-from-slovakia.aspx?pageID=238&nID=70535&NewsCatID=348
17/8/14
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