Moldovagaz pays Gazprom $69.5 million for March & April gas deliveries

Chisinau, April 22 - Neftegaz.RU. According to Seenews, Moldova has paid $69.5 milion to Russia's Gazprom for gas supplied in March and April.
The CEO of utility company Moldovagaz Vadim Ceban said in a social media post:

• Despite the negative tariff deviations, the required amount was generated from consumer receipts for March, government compensation in the amount of $18 million, as well as transfers from fuel and energy companies
• Another important factor was the reduction in energy consumption due to favorable weather conditions
• The company has no outstanding debt for current gas supplies

Last month, the company announced that the price of Russian gas imports will double to $1,193 per 1,000 m³ in April, compared to March.
On April 19, Ceban said that Moldovagaz does not plan to seek revision of tariffs for end-consumers despite increased prices of Russian gas imports.

Earlier this month, Moldova’s parliament passed a bill obligating Moldovagaz to buy additional volumes of gas and store them in a neighbouring country in order to reduce Moldova’s vulnerability to potential disruptions in gas flows from Russia.

The bill must be passed on 2^nd reading to become law.
At the time, Ceban told local online portal Newsmaker that in order to provide the necessary reserves by August, the company must purchase some 300-350 million m³ of gas.

Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said in March that his country is ready to build on its territory a gas storage capacity or host gas for Moldova in order to help it reduce its dependence of Russian gas.

On April 5, Moldovan president Maia Sandu said that the country cannot stop purchasing gas from Russia but the government is looking for alternatives.

Russia's Gazprom owns 50% of Moldovagaz, the Moldovan government owns 35.33% and 13.44% is held by the government of Transnistria, the pro-Russian separatist republic within Moldova.