Ukraine increases gas transit volumes
In March, the volume of natural gas transported through the territory of Ukraine amounted to 8.1 billion cubic meters, an increase of 21.3% from the same period in 2017, Ukraine’s national gas and oil company Ukrtransgaz reported.
Ukrtransgaz also reported that despite Russia’s systematic failure to ensure contract pressures in gas pipelines at the entrance to Ukraine’s gas transport system, the company fulfilled requests for gas transportation on time and in full. The average daily transit amounted to 260 million cubic meters in March, which is almost 50 million or 22% more per day than in February 2018.
"Based on the results of the first quarter of 2018, gas transit from the Russian Federation through the territory of Ukraine decreased to 20.1 billion cubic meters which is 3.1 billion cubic meters or 13.3% less than the first three months last year,” Ukrtransgaz reported.
According to Naftogaz, Gazprom refuses to honor its obligations under the transit contract with Ukraine that was contested in court. The Stockholm Arbitration Court satisfied Naftogaz’s claims for compensation for undelivered gas volumes by Gazprom. Naftogaz won compensation in the amount of $4.63 billion for the undelivered gas. Based on the results of two arbitration proceedings in Stockholm, Gazprom must pay Naftogaz $2.56 billion.
However, the Arbitration Court did not support Naftogaz’s request for a review of transit tariffs in the contract with Gazprom. Gazprom received prepayment but returned it to Naftogaz . Thereafter, Gazprom refused to supply gas to Naftogaz from March 1, in violation of the decision of the Stockholm Arbitration.