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The Russian gas monopoly Gazprom has applied to the state-owned operator of Ukraine's gas transportation system Ukrtransgaz to increase gas transit through Ukraine due to the planned shutdown of the Nord Stream gas pipeline for maintenance, according to the press service of National Joint-Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine.
"Today Russia's Gazprom has submitted an increased order for the transmission of 315 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas through Ukraine to the EU. The daily order for transmission of Russian gas through Ukraine has increased by 47 mcm over the past week. Naftogaz is ready to carry out the increased order in full, despite the fact that the significant order fluctuations are not stipulated by the gas current transmission contract between Naftogaz and Gazprom," the press service said in a statement.
As reported, Gazprom is increasing its daily orders via Ukraine due to the planned shutdown of the Nord Stream gas pipeline for maintenance, while the routine maintenance of the Ukrainian system is performed without transit interruptions.
"This year, the routine maintenance of Nord Stream will take 11 days compared to eight days in 2016. Unlike in the case of Nord Stream, routine maintenance of the Ukrainian system is performed without transit interruptions. The Ukrainian route remains, therefore, the most powerful and flexible gas transmission route to Europe," the report said.
According to Ukrtransgaz, Gazprom does not maintain sufficient gas pressure at Sudzha, the key entry point for gas from Russia. The pressure in the Russian gas transit system at the entry point to Ukraine currently stands at 57 ATM, which is 3 ATM less than is stipulated by the contract between Naftogaz and Gazprom.
Read alsoRussia's Nord Stream shuts down for maintenanceMaximum capacity of Ukraine's gas transmission system in the European direction exceeds 400 mcm/day, the press service added.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce has been considering the claims filed by Naftogaz on behalf of Ukraine against Russia's Gazprom regarding the transit of Russian gas to the EU through Ukraine and the purchase of Russian gas by Ukraine.
Naftogaz on May 31, 2017, received a separate ruling of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in the framework of a lawsuit filed by the Ukrainian company against Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom related to the gas purchase contract. The decision on the contract for transit is expected to be delivered before the end of November.
Read alsoNaftogaz: Four global giants show interest in management of Ukraine's gas transport systemTransit shipments of natural gas from Russia through the Ukrainian gas transportation system grew by 23% within the eight months of 2017, to 51.2 billion cubic meters. At the same time, our country has not been buying gas from Russia since November 2015.
UNIAN memo. According to Naftogaz, the amount of its claims against Gazprom under the gas purchase contract was $30.3 billion as of May 29, 2017, of which $14.1 billion was required for revision of the price for gas consumed by Ukraine in 2011-2015. Those from Gazprom against Naftogaz totaled $47.1 billion, of which $34.45 billion was related to Gazprom's "take-or-pay" sanction.
According to the lawsuit under the gas transit contract, Naftogaz's claims to Gazprom amount to $12.3 billion, while those of Gazprom to the Ukrainian company are estimated at $7 million.