Gazprom continues gas supplies to European consumers

 European companies importing gas from Russia said on Monday they registered no problems with gas supplies, despite a prepayment regime imposed by Russian gas giant Gazprom on Ukraine over its gas debt.
Representatives of European companies told ITAR-TASS they were receiving gas supplies from Russia via Ukraine in full under existing contracts with Gazprom.
“We are monitoring the situation and are currently receiving gas in full,” the press office of France’s GdF Suez told ITAR-TASS.
“Imported gas supplies to PGNiG SA, including gas volumes pumped via Ukraine continue uninterruptedly. Since the start of tensions in Ukraine, the company has set up a special group to monitor the developments and take preventive measures, if necessary, to solve problems with gas supplies,” Polish PGNiG told ITAR-TASS.
European companies said they were ready to use underground gas storage facilities or alternative gas sources in the event of force majeure circumstances.
“At present, SPP is receiving natural gas as normal. We are closely watching the current situation and our priority is to secure constant gas deliveries for our customers. In case of force majeure, we’ll be able to use gas kept at underground gas storage facilities in Slovakia,” the Slovak energy firm Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysel (SPP) told ITAR-TASS.
“Russia’s decision to demand gas prepayment from Ukraine will not affect customers in Western Europe. E.ON is well prepared to ensure gas supplies for its customers thanks to a diversified portfolio of deliveries and gas storage facilities,” Germany’s E.ON told ITAR-TASS.
According to data of the Association of European Underground Gas Storage Operators, Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities currently hold 14.082 billion cubic meters of gas. Over the last week, the volume of gas in the underground gas storage facilities has increased by 600 million cubic meters.