UPDATE: Ukraine Cuts Gas Supply To Hungary From 1500 GMT Monday
January 05 2009 - 12:33PM
Dow Jones News
Ukraine started to cut the supply of Russian natural gas to
Hungary at 1500 GMT Monday after it had informed the Hungarian
government of its plans.
Ukraine had informed Hungary it intends to cut supply through
the Ukrainian transit pipeline by 8 million cubic meters Monday,
Csaba Molnar, Hungary's minister in charge of energy issues, said
earlier in the day.
Hungary receives 38 mcm of Russian gas daily through
Ukraine.
The lower volume won't result in supply disruption since Hungary
has over 3 billion cubic meters of gas in storage and it a further
500 mcm as strategic reserves, Molnar said.
Hungary will receive information between 0800 and 0900 GMT
Tuesday about Tuesday's supplies through Ukraine, Janos Zsuga,
general manager of Hungarian oil and gas company MOL's (MOL.BU) gas
transit company Foldgazszallito Zrt., told Hungarian state news
agency MTI.
Foldgazszallito says natural gas demand will rise Monday to
between 70 mcm and 72 mcm due to colder weather compared with
Sunday's projected 66 mcm to 67 mcm.
Weather forecasts say Hungary will experience a severe cold
spell later in the week, with temperatures dipping to around minus
15 degrees Celsius, which is likely to boost gas demand
further.
Hungary gets some 80% of its natural gas imports from Russia
through Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine are in a disagreement over pricing and Russia
halted deliveries to Ukraine Jan. 1. Ukraine is a key transit
country for Russia for its lucrative gas trade with the European
Union including Hungary.
Company Web site: www.fgsz.hu
-By Margit Feher and Edith Balazs, Dow Jones Newswires;
+361-267-0622; margit.feher@dowjones.com
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