Ukraine starts test gas imports from Slovakia
KYIV. May 15 (Interfax) - Ukraine on Wednesday, May 15, started importing natural gas from Slovakia in test mode, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavytsky told reporters.
"We started gas imports. We will conduct tests and exchange information for 7-10 days," he said.
Slovakia is a major corridor of gas supplies from Europe to Ukraine. Ukrtransgaz suggested that the Slovak side use one of the four existing gas pipelines to supply gas in reverse mode, which will provide gas receipts of up to 10 bcm a year. Ukrtransgaz experts are working with representatives of Eustream (Slovakia) on the Interconnection Agreement.
Earlier reports quoting Ukrtransgaz said that last April Ukraine imported 120.1 million cubic meters of natural gas from Europe. Poland pumped a record volume of gas of 102 million cubic meters into the country's gas transportation system (GTS), which is 320% more than in March (24.3 million cubic meters).
In addition, in the same month Hungary pumped 18.1 million cubic meters of gas.
In general, between November 2012 and May 1, 2013 the total pumping of natural gas to Ukraine's GTS through Poland and Hungary amounted to about 291 million cubic meters.
Imports of Russian natural gas to Ukraine in April amounted to 800.8 million cubic meters. Thus, in April Ukraine imported about 921 million cubic meters of gas.