Moldovan energy minister calls pilot procurement of U.S. LNG successful

CHISINAU. April 4 (Interfax) - LNG procurement from the United States has proven successful, Moldovan Energy Minister Victor Parlicov said.

"There were a number of symbolic aspects for us. It was the first tanker to unload at the new terminal in Alexandroupolis, Greece. We were pleased to agree with the Greeks on chartering some of the cargo. It was a pilot gas procurement needed to test the delivery mechanism," Parlicov said in a televised interview on Thursday. He confirmed that Moldovan consumers used U.S. LNG, supplied to Greece, on April 1-2.

Speaking of the gas price, Parlicov denied that LNG was much more expensive than gas supplied by Gazprom to Transdniestria. "I cannot tell you the number, because that is prohibited by contract terms. The Gazprom price stands at around $326 per 1,000 cubic meters in April. The procurement's price was close, a bit higher. Not much. Still, the price does not matter in this case, it's a secondary issue. Our primary task was to test the terminal operation, the unloading terms, and the slot reservation process," he said.

The state-run company Energocom bought LNG under a contract signed with the Greek company DEPA a year ago. Acting Energocom Director Victor Binzari said that the company purchased 14,000 MW h of natural gas (about 2.6 million cubic meters) at the Alexandroupolis port. He did not disclose the LNG price but said it was competitive.