| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Gazprom Accuses Ukraine of Dipping
Gazprom has demanded that Naftogaz Ukrainy stop drawing off Russian natural gas in excess of its contract with Rosukrenergo AG, the trader that represents Gazprom in Ukraine, 50 percent of which belongs to Gazprom. A source familiar with the situation says that Ukraine took more than 1 billion cu. m. in excess of its contract in the first week of July in an attempt to build up a reserve before Gazprom raises the price the country pays from $179.50 to $400 per 1000 cu. m. in January of next year. That price hike will raise the country’s annual gas expenditure from $9.9 billion to $22 billion, and cause a spike in inflation and the cost of living.
By the evening of July 18, the country began to draw the correct amount of gas. Gazprom sent a faxed letter to Naftogaz Ukrainy on July 14. Naftogaz Ukrainy is indebted to Rosukrenergo for $2 billion from previous years and the first two quarters of the year. That caused an unscheduled meeting of Ukrgaz-Energo to be broken up last Friday, when Rosukrenergo representatives did not appear. Ukrgaz-Energo belongs equally to Naftogaz and Rosukrenergo. “It is absurd for Naftogaz to raise the question of paying dividends before it pays off its debt to Ukrgaz-Energo,” said Rosukrenergo executive director Dmitry Glebko.
Observers say Naftogaz Ukrainy is taking advantage of its position as the practical monopolist on the transit of Russian gas to Europe. No new gas war is expected, however.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of July 21, 2008
|
|
|
