Swiss-based gas trading company RosUkrEnergo, a key player in a complicated gas supply scheme between Russia and Ukraine, may stay in business despite an agreement between the two countries to redraw the deal, a person close to the intermediary said Thursday.
Swiss-based gas trading company RosUkrEnergo, a key player in a complicated gas supply scheme between Russia and Ukraine, may stay in business despite an agreement between the two countries to redraw the deal, a person close to the intermediary said Thursday.
The company, which is half owned by Russia's gas monopoly OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS), is currently supplying Ukraine with gas from Central Asia and exporting 5 billion cubic meters annually to Europe, from which the company generates most of its profits.
"We don't exclude that this export part of the business will remain in place", the person said.
A person close to Ukrainian state-owned oil and gas monopoly Naftogaz Ukrainy also said that RosUkrEnergo might retain its lucrative export business.
"It is possible that RosUkrEnergo will not disappear", Ekaterina Malofeeva, a chief economist at Renaissance Capital in Moscow said.
The heads of and Ukrainian state-owned oil and gas monopoly Naftogaz Ukrainy and Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom discuss the parameters of the new deal in Moscow Thursday.
The companies agreed Tuesday on the new direct scheme of gas supply to Ukraine. Under the new agreement Naftogaz and Gazprom will form 50-50 joint ventures to import gas to Ukraine and to sell it to consumers in Ukraine, Gazprom said.
Under the agreements signed in 2006, Gazprom buys gas in Central Asia and resells it to RosUkrEnergo, in which Gazprom owns 50%. In the other half of the company, a Ukrainian businessman Dmitry Firtash has 45% and his business partner Ivan Fursin.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko repeatedly said she wants to drop the go-betweens and strike a direct deal with producers and praised the new deal.
However, the parameters of the deal remain unclear. Ukraine's president Viktor Yushchenko said Wednesday, that he has developed with Russia's president Vladimir Putin "tactics and strategy of the gas supply, but we agreed not to make the strategy public for a while".
Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is expected to easily win Russia's March 2 presidential election, said Wednesday Ukraine could only afford gas from Central Asia and would be unable to afford direct purchases of more expensive gas from Gazprom.
"If they want the Central Asian gas, it means a middleman will be necessary," Medvedev, who also serves as Gazprom chairman, was quoted as saying by Russian news wires.
The talks between Gazprom and Naftogaz are expected to be concluded Thursday
Διαβάστε ακόμα
Τρι, 5 Νοεμβρίου 2024 - 18:56
Τρι, 5 Νοεμβρίου 2024 - 18:53
Τετ, 30 Οκτωβρίου 2024 - 18:54
Τετ, 30 Οκτωβρίου 2024 - 18:46
Παρ, 25 Οκτωβρίου 2024 - 20:10