Gazprom’s new deals in Europe: transit through Ukraine has not decreased
18 November 2024 23:26
Russia’s gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine remained stable, including to Austria, despite the fact that Gazprom has stopped supplying gas. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Reuters.
According to Gazprom representatives, on Monday the company sent 42.4 million cubic meters of gas to Europe via Ukraine, which corresponds to the volume of supplies on Sunday.
OMV used to receive about 17 million cubic meters of gas per day from Gazprom, but after the supply was suspended, these volumes found new buyers or intermediaries in the European market who buy up unclaimed gas, sources and Gazprom said.
The data show that gas previously supplied to Austria is now being sent to other countries.
Russian gas is usually still cheaper than gas from other sources. The so-called Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod pipeline transports gas from Russia through Ukraine to Slovakia, from where it can go to Austria and the Czech Republic.
Despite the cessation of gas supplies to OMV, Russia continues to supply significant volumes of gas to Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, as well as smaller volumes to Italy and Serbia.
Separately, gas flows from Slovakia to the Czech Republic have sharply increased to 74% of total Czech imports since October 1, although Czech companies do not have any contracts with Gazprom.
Slovak state-owned gas company SES, which has a long-term contract with Gazprom, did not respond to the publication’s question whether it buys some of the volume that normally goes to OMV for trade or other purposes.
Prior to the invasion of Ukraine, Russia was the main supplier of pipeline gas to the European Union, but its market share has declined significantly as the EU has found alternative sources of supply from Norway, the Middle East and the United States.
The transit line through Ukraine is one of the two remaining routes for Russian gas to the EU and is expected to be closed at the end of the year as Kyiv has said it does not want to renew its transit contract with Gazprom.
