Russian gas exports through Ukraine to Europe – the main transit route for the gas to the EU – were stable on Monday, according to Kremlin-controlled energy company Gazprom (GAZP.MM), opens new tab, despite the company cutting off gas supplies to Austria’s OMV (OMVV.VI), opens new tab.
Gazprom said it would send 42.4 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Monday, the same volume as on Sunday.
Russia, which before the Ukraine war was the biggest single supplier of gas to Europe, has lost most of its buyers on the continent as the EU tries to cut its dependence on Russian energy.
Nominations, or requests, for gas flows into Slovakia from Ukraine were little changed from previous days on Monday while nominations for flows leaving Slovakia were also stable, data from transmission system operator Eustream showed.
Nominations for flows to Austria from Slovakia were steady versus weekend levels, or around 17% below November’s average levels before Russia halted gas supplies to Austria’s OMV (OMVV.VI), opens new tab. Nominations to the Czech Republic from Slovakia were also roughly in line with levels from previous days.
Gazprom on Saturday halted supplies to OMV after the Austrian company threatened to impound some of the Russian state firm’s gas as compensation for an arbitration it had won over a contractual dispute.
Austria had been receiving 17 mcm per day before the cut-off, and those volumes are now finding new buyers in Europe who stepped in to snap up unsold gas, companies and sources said and data showed.
Russian gas is still being sold in significant volumes to Slovakia and Hungary, as well as to the Czech Republic which does not have a direct contract. Smaller volumes are going to Italy and Serbia.
Ukraine has said it will not extend a gas transit deal with Russia once a five-year agreement expires at the end of the year.
Source: Reuters
