Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov today gave an update on the latest developments in the gas dispute with Ukraine:
• Gas supply arrears in the amount $614 million for 2008 have not yet been paid.
• Naftogaz Ukrainy is not taking any steps to resume negotiations in respect to agreeing a gas supply contract for 2009
• Ukraine is refusing to acknowledge the current transit contract, which is valid until 2010, is flagrantly violating its obligations as a transit country and has not responded positively to any of the compromises proposed by Gazprom to resolve the situation
• Ukraine is illegally taking gas destined for European customers without permission and without payment.
Despite claiming that it is adhering to its obligations under the Agreement on the Energy Charter, Ukraine has simultaneously sent a letter to Gazprom threatening to confiscate transit. At the same time it has shut down the Orlovka Compressor Station which supplies gas to the Balkans.
Gazprom continues to urge Naftogaz Ukrainy to return to the negotiating table. However Naftogaz Ukrainy remain in Kiev and have not responded positively to any of Gazprom’s efforts to resolve this situation.
Between 10.00 on 3 January and 10.00 on 4 January, 25 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas was illegally taken from the transit volumes by Ukraine. Over this period Gazprom supplied 295 mcm to the entrance point of the Ukrainian gas transport system, which exceeds the amount requested by European customers supplied via this route. However gas measured at the exit point showed that only 270mcm was received. This represents a theft of 25 mcm. In addition RosUkrEnergo has not received a further 25 mcm of gas for export transactions which should have been supplied by Naftogaz Ukrainy from underground storage facilities. So over this period, European consumers received 50 mcm less of gas than they were due to receive.
In order to protect its customers, Gazprom is supplying additional gas through other routes, namely through Belarus and the Blue Stream gas pipeline. It is also supplying gas from its reserves in European underground storage.
After observers enlisted by Gazprom to monitor volumes were denied access to gas metering stations in Ukraine, the company sent a letter to the European Commission with a proposal that it provide independent monitoring of the transit volumes through Ukrainian territory. Simultaneously, Gazprom is preparing to file a lawsuit with the Stockholm Arbitration Court against Naftogaz Ukrainy in an attempt to secure unimpeded transit of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine.
Gazprom calls upon its Ukrainian colleagues to resume negotiations.