You're reading: Naftogaz cuts imports of Russian gas to minimum after worsening of political crisis

National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy from the moment of the worsening of the political crisis cut imports of Russian gas under its contract with Gazprom to the minimum volume of around 10-13 million cubic meters a day.

According to the Central Dispatching Department of the Fuel and
Energy Complex (CDU TEK), if in first days of Feb. average daily
pumping of Russian gas exceeded 100 million cubic meters, reaching
146-147 million cubic meters in the first two days of Feb., from
Feb. 10 imports reached 51.3 million cubic meters and continued
falling.

In the period from Feb. 11 to Feb. 20, imports came to 30.8
million cubic meters, and from Feb. 21 to Feb. 23 it was 10.6
million cubic meters, 11.4 million cubic meters and 13.5 million cubic
meters respectively.

Average daily imports in the first 23 days of Feb. (62.8 million
cubic meters) were not less than imports of Russian gas in the same
period of 2013 (73.5 million cubic meters).

Taking into account the fact that Ukraine has experienced warm
weather since the beginning of the first ten days of February, the large
fall in imports could be lined to the desire of Kyiv to use gas stocks
as much as possible and not to boost the debt to Gazprom that has built
up due to low payments for gas inside the country by heat supply
companies.

From Feb. 1 to Feb. 23, Naftogaz Ukrainy bought 1.443 billion
cubic meters of natural gas from Gazprom, and 2.243 billion cubic
meters in Jan. 2014.

Natural gas stocks at Ukrainian underground storage facilities as of
Feb. 20, 2014 stood at nearly 11.5 billion cubic meters and they
totaled 14.765 billion cubic meters as of Dec. 31, 2013.