Naftogaz transfers $850 m to Gazprom for November gas imports

The National JSC Naftogaz Ukrainy transferred on December 7 over $850 million to Russian gas giant OJSC Gazprom for natural gas imported to Ukraine in November 2012, Naftogaz said on Monday.

"Naftogaz Ukrainy has been meeting its obligations to OJSC Gazprom to pay for imports of natural gas on time and in full," the company said.

It was earlier reported that the forecast for natural gas import and distribution in 2012 expects Naftogaz Ukrainy to import 27 billion cubic meters (BCM) while Dmytro Firtash's Ostchem Holding Ltd (Cyprus) will import 8.124 bcm.

Naftogaz Ukrainy imported $808 million in Russian gas in January 2012, February - $1.3 billion, March - $865 million, April - $628 million, May - $648 million, June - $1.05 billion, July - $930 million, and August $890 million, $1.056 billion in September, and $1.043 billion in October.

The gas import price for Naftogaz Ukrainy in the first quarter of 2012 totaled around $416 per 1,000 cubic meters, second quarter - around $425 per 1,000 cubic meters, third quarter - around $426 per 1,000 cubic meters, and in fourth quarter – around $430 per 1,000 cubic meters.

According to Ukraine's State Statistics Service, imports of Russian gas to the country in 2011 totaled 40.0017 bcm in 2011 at a value of $12.361 billion.

Naftogaz Ukrainy unites the leading oil and gas production enterprises in Ukraine. The company holds the monopoly for transit and underground storage of natural gas, as well as gas transport via pipelines throughout Ukraine.