Astrakhan-Gazprom enterprise. Sign reads: Gas H2S. Danger!
Photo: Valery Melnikov
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Gazprom Returns Gas to Russia
// It will secure its export by purchasing from Central Asia
For the first time in six years, Russia is intentionally lowering the export of its natural gas (by 3.7 billion cubic meters as compared to 2006), so as to direct the gas into Russia’s regions. In the pre-election year, Gazprom head Alexei Miller guarantees that 62 percent of Russian territory will be gasified, instead of the planned 60 percent. Gazprom will compensate the extracted profits by changing the structure of gas export. It will make Gazprom more dependent on Russia’s relations with Central Asia countries.
Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade published an economic forecast on its website, predicting that the export of Russia’s natural gas will reach “up to 198.8 billion of cubic meters” in 2007. According to Gazprom’s preliminary estimations, the export made up 202.5 billion cubic meters in 2006. Thus, the gas monopoly will reduce export by nearly 2 percent.
Gazprom said it will reduce export for the first time since 2001. The gas released from export will be directed to Russia’s regions for implementing the country’s gasification national project.
Gazprom has drastically changed export structure this year by redirecting Russian gas to the European Union, and Central Asian gas to the CIS countries like Ukraine. The monopoly will purchase 41.5 billion of cubic meters of gas from Turkmenistan, 8 billion from Kazakhstan (amounts similar to those last year), and 13 billion from Uzbekistan (compared to 9.8 billion in 2006).
Experts say, however, that Gazprom’s export will grow faster than its gas extraction. Thus, the monopoly strengthens its dependency on Russia’s political relations with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Feb. 22, 2007
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