Gas transit via Ukrainian-Slovakia border to fall 24% in 2013
KYIV. Feb 27 (Interfax) - Average daily gas transit via the Ukrainian-Slovakian border, as per contracts signed by Slovakia's pipeline operator Eustream, will shrink 24% from 281.5 million cubic meters (mcm) in 2012 to 213.8 mcm in 2013, the company says on its website.
These volumes will fall another 11.2% in 2014 compared with to 189.9 mcm.
Transit volumes will fall firstly because the Czech Republic will reduce its gas take 41.5% to 70.5 mcm in 2013 from 120.5 mcm in 2012, and another 30.4% to 49.1 mcm in 2014.
Austria's take will also fall, but less so, by 5.4% to 143 mcm from 15.2 mcm in 2013, and another 0.6% to 142.1 mcm in 2014.
Slovakia does not, according to existing contracts, plan to import more gas for its own needs along alternative routes to Ukrainian pipelines. Indeed, Slovakia's gas imports via the Czech Republic will fall 74.4% in 2013 to 2.3 mcm.
Slovakia has significant free (non-contracted) capacity to pump transit gas the other way, from the European Union to Ukraine - overall capacity to pump gas towards Ukraine is 82.6 mcm per day.
The Czech Republic can also receive gas via the Nord Stream pipeline was well as via Slovakia and Ukraine.
Ukraine could buy on the European spot markets and import via Slovakia up to 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, starting in 2015-2016, said Leonid Unigovsky, secretary to the Expert Council on the development of Ukraine's gas industry and natural gas market.