Gazprom reports record-breaking profits amid surging gas prices

St.Petersburg, November 30 - Neftegaz.RU. The Russian gas monopoly - which holds ¹/₃ of the gas supply to Europe and which some critics have slammed for keeping European gas prices too high by not delivering extra supply on top of its contractual obligations - reported record-high net profit, sales, and free cash flow for the 3^rd quarter, OilPrice analysed.

Gazprom expects an even better 4^th quarter as natural gas prices stay at elevated levels while demand is rising with falling temperatures.

The net profit for Q3 jumped to the equivalent of $7.8 billion (582 billion Russian rubles), as «prices at the European gas market kept growing in the reporting period, bolstering our operating and financial results,» Famil Sadygov, Deputy Chairman of Gazprom Management Committee, said in a statement.
Sadygov noted:

• In the 3^rd quarter of 2021, the Gazprom Group continued to demonstrate steady results, reaching record-high financial figures yet again
• These figures were influenced by the situation in the export markets, whose current dynamics lead us to expect even more impressive results in Q4

Gazprom reiterated that it complies fully with its obligations to customers.
According to the Russian company, the surge in natural gas prices in Europe in Q3 was the result of low gas inventories and high gas prices curtailing the pace of EU storage restocking.

In addition, Gazprom focused 1^st on filling Russian storage before the winter, it said.
Gazprom is fulfilling its contractual obligations with customers to send natural gas to Europe, but it has not significantly raised additional supply.

Moreover, the Gazprom-led Nord Stream 2 pipeline project is being delayed by a few weeks, at least, after Germany said earlier this month it had suspended the process of certification of the pipeline until an operator of the pipeline in Germany is incorporated under German law.

Author: Tsvetana Paraskova