Gazprom fails to satisfy demand of European consumers on gas via Slovakia's pipeline

Applications of European consumers for transportation of Russian gas across the Ukrainian gas transport system via the Slovakia's pipeline early week this grew to 206-215 million cubic meters (mcm) a day compared to average 170-180 mcm a day in August 2017, the press service of public joint-stock company Uktransgaz reported on Thursday.

The company said that Gazprom failed to supply the expected volumes of gas for transit to European consumers, sending the revised applications for transportation of gas via the Slovakia's pipeline in the amount of 192-200 mcm a day to the central dispatch department of Uktransgaz. This is 3-7% lower than the amount ordered at the Velke Kapusany gas distribution station.

Uktransgaz recalled that the company's transit capacities for the Slovakian route in the Uzhgorod exit point total 282 mcm a day, which is larger than current demand of European consumers.

"Ukraine is ready to ensure stable transportation of the volumes of natural gas expected by European customers to the fullest. Moreover, the technical capacity of the Ukrainian gas transportation system allows reliably transiting Russian gas to the EU countries in a volume of more than 400-450 mcm per day by Slovak, Hungarian, Polish and Romanian gas transport corridors," the press service said.

Uktransgaz also said that Russia has not yet fulfilled its technical obligations under the contract with Naftogaz Ukrainy for transit of gas with respect to compliance with contractual gas pressures in trunk gas pipelines at entry points located on the Russian-Ukrainian border (Sudzha and Pisarevka gas compressor stations).