You're reading: Firtash not intending to import gas from Europe under reverse scheme

Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash is not intending to import gas from Europe using a reverse scheme, he told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday. 

The businessman also did not specify what volume of gas the companies belonging to him plan to supply the Ukrainian market next year.

As reported, OstChem Limited (Cyprus) controlled by Firtash from April 2011 started importing natural gas of Central Asian origin (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan) to Ukraine, but since 2012 the Cyprus-based company, according to the State Statistics Service, has been importing only Russian natural gas to the country.

The projected balance of natural gas supplies and distribution for 2012 foresees the import by Naftogaz Ukrainy of 27 billion cubic meters of gas, and by OstChem Holding Limited (Cyprus) – 8.124 billion cubic meters.

At the same time, President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych at a meeting with the leadership of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency last week said that Ukraine under conditions of price pressure is forced to reduce its Russian gas purchases. According to him, Ukraine plans in 2013 to buy 18 billion cubic meters of gas, against 26 billion cubic meters in 2012.