DESPITE the current situation between Russia and Ukraine, natural gas shipments from Ukraine to Slovakia continue as usual, with no decrease in volume.
“We have not recorded any reduction of pressure or gas volume heading from the east to the European Union at the compressor station Veľké Kapušany on the border with Ukraine,” spokesman for the transit pipeline operator Eustream Vahram Chuguryan said, as quoted by the SITA newswire.
Eustream did not expect any fluctuations in the gas supply on Monday.
“The Ukrainian side has confirmed the nomination for the current day in an unchanged amount. We will continuously monitor and regularly evaluate the situation on the Slovak-Ukraine border,” said Chuguryan, as quoted by SITA.
Slovak Economy Minister Tomáš Malatinský convened a crisis staff meeting regarding gas supplies and energy security on June 16. Its members are representatives of gas companies Eustream and the distribution arm of SPP and the SPP parent company, and the gas storage company Nafta.
“I was informed about the situation with gas shipments and I can assure everyone that the suspension of gas supplies to Ukraine is not influencing the supply of gas to Slovakia,” Malatinský said following the meeting, as quoted by SITA. “Representatives of all the companies informed me of their readiness should shipments be completely stopped.”
Eustream is prepared according to the spokesman for complete cessation of gas supplies to Slovakia from Ukraine. It will rely on reverse flow from Austria in the volume of 23.8 million cubic metres of gas per day, from the Czech Republic in the amount of 67 million cubic metres per day, both declared technical maximum volumes. If necessary, according to him, the use of the newly built Slovakia-Hungary interconnector is also conceivable.
Russia on Monday stopped all gas supplies to Kiev, informed Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan. He added that he guarantees that gas shipments to all European customers of the Russian producer across the Ukrainian pipeline systems should continue.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports.
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
presented in its Flash News postings.
