Ukraine cuts gas transit to Europe by 10%

Ukraine reduced the transit of natural gas to European Union countries by 10.48 percent in the first half of the year, as compared to the same period of 2012, to 38.227 billion cubic metres, the press service of the operator of the republican gas transportation network Ukrtransgaz said on Thursday. According to the company, gas transit to the CIS countries dropped by 31.85 percent to 1.126 billion cubic metres. All in all, gas transit via the republic to the CIS countries and to Europe went down by 11.28 percent to 39.353 billion cubic metres in January-June 2013, the press service said. “In spite of the decline in the gas import, Ukrtransgaz implements in full all bids for gas pumping through the gas transportation system,” the company’s CEO, Sergei Vinokurov, said. Ukrtransgaz is a subsidiary of the national oil and gas utility Naftogaz Ukrainy. It specializes in the transportation and storage of natural gas. The state holds a 100 percent stake in the company, which consists of 16 structural units enjoying the rights of branch offices. The company’s industrial facilities are located in all of Ukraine’s regions. The company operates gas pipelines of 38,600 kilometers. Ukrtransgaz owns one of Europe’s biggest networks of underground storage facilities with an overall capacity of 31 billion cubic meters.