The suspension of Turkmen gas supplies to Russia will not affect Ukraine, Naftohaz Ukrayiny said, according to RBC.
Ukrainian officials said Ukraine was buying gas not from directly Turkmenistan but from RosUkrEnergo, and it has not received any documents from Russia about reductions in gas supplies.
A spokesman for RosUkrEnergo confirmed that no changes were expected, and the company would continue to work within the framework of the existing contract.
Turkmenistan’s Ministry for Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources said Turkmenistan would suspend its gas supplies to Russia for eight days starting on 25 July 2006, because of repairs on the Dovletabat-Deryalyk-Europe (Central Asia-Center IV) pipeline going through Uzbek and Kazakh territory. Turkmen officials said the supplies were suspended at the request of Alexander Ryazanov, Deputy CEO of Russian gas giant Gazprom. Russian gas imports will reduce by 75 million to 80 million a day as a result of the suspension.
Under its contract with Turkmenistan, Gazprom is to deliver 30 billion cubic meters of gas to Ukraine before October 30, at $65 per 1,000 cubic meters.
Turkmenistan offered Ukraine a contract for Turkmen gas supplies in the fourth quarter of this year at $100 per 1,000 cubic meters. But Ukraine has not agreed to a higher price. Ukraine’s gas deficit in the fourth quarter of 2006 is expected to be 11 billion cubic meters.
