Over the next five years, Ukraine will manage to produce about 27 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year and purchase about 12 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Boiko has said.
"We’re planning to increase our own production from 20 billion [cubic meters] to 27 billion cubic meters in five years, and taking into account a program for energy saving and the replacement of gas with coal, we are planning to buy 12 billion cubic meters of Russian gas in five years," he told Channel 5 on Monday.
Boiko said he was confident that in 2012, the country would manage to reduce natural gas consumption by 10 billion cubic meters.
"We have our own program, which reduces gas consumption. Next year, we will cut [gas consumption] by about 10 billion cubic meters," he said.
Boiko said that in particular, Ukraine would manage to increase the production of gas on the Black Sea shelf.
He expressed confidence that Ukraine would reach a compromise with Russia on gas pricing.
"The negotiations are difficult, but we always reached a compromise, and I think that it will be so this time," Boiko said.
He also said that Naftogaz Ukrainy would not merge with Gazprom in exchange for a reduction in the gas price.
As reported, in 2010, Ukraine reduced the production of natural and associated gas by 4%, to 20.5 billion cubic meters.
Domestic gas consumption in the country grew by 11.2% last year, to 57.7 billion cubic meters. Overall domestic oil and oil-product consumption is estimated at an annual 23 million tonnes of oil.
The country increased natural gas imports by 35.7%, to 36.5 billion cubic meters, or 17.7% to $9.39 billion in terms of price.
