REUTERS
Diversification of gas supplies by South European countries creates good competition to Russian gas.
National Joint-Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine, together with Operator of the Gas Transmission System of Ukraine, has been working on the possibility of receiving gas via the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline starting January 2020, said Serhiy Makogon, director of Gas TSO of Ukraine.
"Southern European countries are actively diversifying supplies: Caspian gas via TANAP [gas pipeline from Azerbaijan to the Greek border] and LNG supplies create good competition to Russian gas," the official wrote on Facebook.
At the same time, he explained that in order to start supplying Qatari gas directly to Ukraine, it is necessary to solve the main problem – to agree with Turkey on the passage of tankers with fuel through the Bosphorus.
Read alsoNaftogaz invites Gazprom, EC to hold technical consultations on gas transit
Makogon noted that the other day Qatari gas was first delivered to the LNG terminal in Greece on a Q-Flex class vessel, capable of carrying over 210,000 cubic meters of liquefied gas.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrtransgaz reported that Ukraine, after the expiration of the existing gas transit contract with the Russian Gazprom, may additionally load its gas transmission system through the import or transit of gas from Romania via the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline.
Transit-1 pipeline is one of the three pipelines of the Trans-Balkan route, which is currently used to transport natural gas from Russia to Bulgaria, while the long-term contract for the reservation of this pipeline by Gazprom in Romania ended in 2016, which involves bringing the rules for using this infrastructure to requirements of European legislation, including in terms of ensuring free access of market participants to the pipeline. In January-May 2019, Ukraine imported 3.49 billion cubic meters of natural gas worth a total of $800.3 million.
Read alsoUkraine imports 3.5 bcm of gas since year-start
The main gas suppliers to Ukraine were companies registered in Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg.
In late November 2015, Ukraine stopped gas purchases from Russia's Gazprom.