Ukraine gas consumption down 7.2% in Jan-Sept, imports down 19.8%, transit – 0.4%
Ukraine consumed 34.695 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the first nine months of 2013, 7.2% less than in the same period last year, the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry said.
Consumption in September declined 0.1% year-on-year to 2.33 billion cubic meters.
Gas imports to Ukraine fell 19.8% to 19.712 billion cubic meters, but rose 41.1% in September to 4.389 billion cubic meters.
Gas transit through Ukraine was down 0.4% to 62.515 billion cubic meters in the nine months. Transit in September alone rose 22.5% to 8.072 billion cubic meters.
As reported, Ukraine cut gas consumption by 7.6% in 2012, to 54.775 billion cubic meters.
Gas transport via Ukraine fell by 19.1% in 2012, to 84.261 billion cubic meters.
Imports of gas last year fell by 26.5%, to 32.939 billion cubic meters.
The government's forecast 2013 natural gas balance provides for the import of 27.3 billion cubic meters of gas this year, including 18 billion cubic meters from Russian Gazprom, 8 billion cubic meters from Dmytro Firtash's Cyprus-registered Ostchem, and 1.3 billion cubic meters from German RWE Supply & Trading GmbH.
