Gazprom Transgaz Belarus ready to increase transit of Russian gas

Gazprom Transgaz Belarus is ready and prepared to boost the transit of Russian gas, Director General of Gazprom Transgaz Belarus Vladimir Mayorov told BelTA.

In general, the amount of gas pumped in transit directly depends on the needs of European customers, the Director General said.

When asked if it is possible to boost the transit of Russian gas via Belarus taking into consideration the situation in Ukraine, Vladimir Mayorov said: “As you know, we cannot make decisions like that. Our company fulfills gas transit orders coming from Gazprom”. Thus, if Gazprom decides to increase the amount of gas transit via Belarus, Gazprom Transgaz Belarus will use its capacities to the maximum.

The gas transmission system of the company and the Yamal-Europe pipeline pump over 67 billion cubic meters of gas every year. The latter accounts for over 70% of gas pumped via the territory of Belarus. Some 84.6-99.5% of the designed capacity of the pipeline was utilized in 2007-2012. At present the Yamal-Europe pipeline is used to the maximum of its technical capacity.

According to the recent data provided by Gazprom Transgaz Belarus, in January-October 2014 Belarus received 15.8 billion cubic meters of gas from Gazprom. The total amount of gas going in transit to Western Europe, Ukraine and Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia in January-October is estimated at 37.7 billion cubic meters.
Gazprom has plans to supply over 6 billion cubic meters of gas to Belarus in the fourth quarter of this year. More than 10 billion cubic meters of gas will go in transit to Western Europe, Lithuania, Ukraine and Kaliningrad Oblast over this period. The total transit of Russian gas in 2014 is projected at 44.7 billion cubic meters.

In April 2013 OAO Beltransgaz was officially renamed into the public joint-stock company Gazprom Transgaz Belarus, with Russian OAO Gazprom owning all the shares of the company since 25 November 2011. The gas transportation system of the company in Belarus comprises 7,870km of trunk pipelines and gas pipeline branches. The trunk pipelines, which are located in Belarus, are used to deliver Russian natural gas to Kaliningrad Oblast, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland.