Gazprom confirms drop in gas exports in April
MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax) - Gazprom has disclosed figures that confirm previously published Interfax estimates of a decline in gas exports to countries outside the former Soviet Union.
Exports of Russian gas to Western Europe and Turkey fell in April 2016 after 12 consecutive months of growth.
"According to the latest data, in the first four months of 2016 Gazprom's gas exports to the far abroad increased by 19.8% compared to January-April 2015. Among the growth leaders was the UK - plus 126.7%," Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller told reporters.
Miller's statement indicates that Russian gas exports to the "far abroad" totaled 13 billion cubic meters in April, having fallen 3.5% in the first drop after 12 months of growth.
In the first quarter of 2016, the effect of the low base of 2015 continued, and exports showed double-digit growth. The situation with supplies normalized in April, but pent-up demand still had an effect as storage facilities had emptied during the 2014-2015 winter season.
Also, the April figures do not look bad compared to the "normal" years of the current decade such as 2014 (12.78 bcm), 2013 (12.57 bcm) and 2012 (12.1 bcm).
In addition, mild spring weather arrived in Europe a week early this year. As a result, Europe started to pump gas into underground storage a week earlier - net injection began on April 1 - which also affected Gazprom's export dynamics.
