Ukraine slashes gas imports almost 30% in 10M
Ukraine cuts natural gas imports 28% year-on-year in January-October to 27.8 billion cubic meters, an Energy and Coal Industry Ministry source has told Interfax-Ukraine.
Ukraine imported gas for national oil and gas company Naftogaz and for Dmytro Firtash's Ostchem Holding.
Gas transit via Ukraine to Europe and the CIS fell 19.2% year-on-year in the 10M to 69.2 bcm. Gas transit to Western Europe fell 19.7% to 66.8 bcm and transit to the CIS was unchanged at 2.4 bcm.
Pipeline operator Ukrtransgaz delivered just over 36 bcm of gas to domestic consumers, down 9% year-on-year.
The 2012 gas balance states that Naftogaz will import 27 bcm and Ostchem - 8.124 bcm of gas this year. Energy and Coal Minister Yuriy Boiko said at the start of November that he thought Naftogaz might cut imports to 26 bcm in 2012.
The State Statistics Service has said Ukrainian natural gas imports rose 22.4% in 2011 to 44.801 bcm and 49.5% to $14.046 billion. Imports of Russian gas came to 40.001 bcm ($12.361 billion) and Central Asian gas - 4.8 bcm ($1.684 bcm).
Gas transit last year rose 5.7% to 104.2 bcm.
