Russia to supply gas to Belarus until end of week :: Charter'97 :: News

Russia will supply gas to Belarus until the end of this week. A new contract on gas exports to Belarus, signed by Trans Nafta and Beltransgaz envisions the delivery to the republic of 200 million cubic meters of gas at the February price of 46.68 dollars for 1,000 cubic meters. The contract helped avoid termination of gas exports which would have occurred at 10:00, Moscow time, on Wednesday. These supplies will be sufficient for Belarus for three to four days," head of Trans Nafta gas department Denis Vinogradov told Itar-Tass.

Vinogradov said Trans Nafta was ready to export to Belarus up to 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas in March, but to go ahead with supplies, it was necessary to agree on the price.

It has already exported 105 million cubic meters at the prices of 46.68 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters.

Earlier, Trans Nafta director general Vladimir Kondrachuk said in an interview with Itar-Tass that the price could grow to 49 dollars, because March and April are traditionally regarded as short supply months in terms of gas production.

ITERA, Russia`s largest independent gas supplier, is ready to export to Belarus 520 million cu m of gas at the price of 46.68 dollars per 1,000 cu m.

"We have forwarded our proposals to Minsk, but received no answer as yet," ITERA officials told Tass.

After Belarus refused to fulfill a previous accord on setting up a joint gas transportation company with Russia, Gazprom stopped gas deliveries at a so-called fifth-band, or Russia’s internal price, on January 1.

Minsk refuses to purchase gas at the market price of 50 dollars per 1,000 cu m.

"We are ready to sign contracts any time. If it does not happen, Belarus will have only one way out - to continue cooperation with independent suppliers," deputy Gazprom head Alexander Ryazanov said.

However, Ryazanov said he doubted that these companies would be able to provide the republic with gas the year round.