By limiting gas amount for Ukrgaz Energo, the authorities of Ukraine count on proceeding with bargaining about direct deliveries of Turkmen gas
Ukraine's National Commission for Electric Energy Control has licensed Ukrgaz Energo, the venture of Swiss RosUkrEnergo and Naftogaz Ukrainy, to sell 5.04 billion cu meters of gas to the industry of Ukraine, Kommersant reported.
The license means Ukraine has fulfilled its commitment and opened domestic market to Gazprom, having limited the term of its staying by two-month needs of Ukrainian industry.
The gas amount licensed for sale via Ukrgaz Energo suffered six-fold reduction, from 32 billion cu meters to 5.04 billion cu meters, once Prime Minister of Ukraine Yury Yekhanurov talked to Valery Kalchenko, chairman of Ukraine's National Commission for Electric Energy Control, just before the license release.
Gazprom doesn't seem discouraged. "We've got down to definite work. Granting a license for the said amount doesn't mean 32 billion will never be supplied," said sources with the gas monopoly of Russia.
Ukrgaz Energo has been set up pari passu by Naftogaz Ukrainy and RUE, where Gazprom owns 50 percent of stocks. The venture is targeted at supplying to Ukraine 30 billion cu meters to 32 billion cubic meters of gas this year and at widening deliveries to 58 billion in 2007 and to 60 billion in 2008.
By limiting gas amount for Ukrgaz Energo, the authorities of Ukraine count, perhaps, on proceeding with bargaining about direct deliveries of Turkmen gas to Ukraine for its further re-export. For Ukraine, two months may suffice to win from Russia and Turkmenistan the new terms of cooperation and much more moderate prices for gas.
