Page 8 - FSUOGM Week 24 2019
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FSUOGM PIPELINES & TRANSPORT FSUOGM
Moldovan leader says all gas supply options on the table
MOLDOVA
ALL options should be explored for securing natural gas supplies in Moldova during the com- ing winter, Moldova’s President Igor Dodon said in an interview with Radio Free Europe.
e interview came a er pro-Russian Dodon called for a moratorium on “ideological and geo- political issues” between his Socialist Party and the pro-EU ACUM bloc that just formed a ruling coalition a er months of political uncertainty in the country.
Natural gas imports are becoming an urgent issue as the Ungheni-Chisinau pipeline, aimed at bringing natural gas from Romania, is unlikely to be ready by the end of the year when Moldo- va’s contract with Gazprom expires. e options for transferring Russian gas through Ukraine are uncertain, since Ukraine has not imported Rus- sian gas for the past three years.
Under these circumstances, Dodon said that Ukraine’s proposal to import natural gas from Europe and use Ukrainian storage capacities is one possible option. Another option to be con- sidered is importing natural gas from Romania, making use of the pipeline that brings natural gas from Russia and transfers it to the Balkans. But Romania itself is not sure of the fate of the imports on this route. Given its smaller reliance on imported gas, Romania has delayed a clari - cation related to the use of this route until a er December 2019.
e president also said he is going to meet
Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his deputy Dmitry Kozak this week.
“If there is no transit through Ukraine, then it is urgent to examine some variants - at least two, three, four, theoretical ones. And start the discussion [immediately]. With the Ukrainians? Let’s talk to the Ukrainians; with the Romanians some reverse on the magistral pipeline, if possi- ble — I do not know the technical side, let’s talk. But we have not yet appointed a person responsi- ble for the talks. It is a very complicated topic and urgent talks must begin,” Dodon said.
Dodon also expressed moderate views on various other topics including the settlement of the situation in the separatist republic of Transnistria.
Regarding the negotiations related to Trans- nistria, Dodon said they should not be rushed. e progress achieved so far under the 5+2 talks should be preserved. e political talks should be separated from the economic schemas that have been used in the past between Sherrif hold- ing and politicians in Moldova, Dodon stressed.
“Sheri was in control [of the economy] in Transistria as long as it had a partner in Moldova, a partner [the former head of the ruling coalition Vlad Plahotniuc] who was in control of the Mol- dovan state. It no longer has one,” Dodon said.
Firstly, Transnistria must revise its scal sys- tem to make it compatible with the Moldovan one, he added.
Gazprom sees no threat from US LNG
RUSSIA
RUSSIAN gas major Gazprom sees no risks of losing market share in Europe to LNG supplies from the US, the deputy head of the company’s board Elena Burmistrova told the press on June 18, as cited by Reuters.
“We did not notice any replacement by the American LNG,” she said, while admitting that “we are observing large volumes of LNG [sup- plies] in Europe.”
e US is actively resisting the extension of Gazprom’s Nord Stream pipeline to Europe, potentially opening up part of the gas market to US LNG supplies.
LNG is Gazprom’s weak spot, operating only one LNG plant in Sakhalin and facing delays in the planned Baltic LNG project a er the recent pull-out by Shell. Gazprom also previously cried foul over potential harm from LNG supplies to Europe by domestic private peer Novatek,
which almost caught up with state oil and gas majors in terms of capitalisation a er adopting and successfully carrying out an ambitious LNG strategy.
In the meantime, the decline of Gazprom’s exports to Europe in the rst quarter is attributed to unfavourable weather conditions, while lower Turkish supplies are a result of Turkey’s current economic problems, Burmistrova argued. She noted that in the meantime Gazprom increased the supplies of natural gas to European storage facilities 2.5-fold year-on-year so far in 2019.
e growth in reserves is linked to uncer- tainty surrounding the prolongation of the transit deal with Ukraine that expires in the end of 2019 and the completion of Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Europe. Burmistrova reminded that Gazprom extended a deal offer to Ukrainian Na ogaz.
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w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m Week 24 19•June•2019
