Gazprom Highlights Secretary General Appeals for Conciliation Efforts

Despite attempts to gradually resume Russian gas deliveries through Ukraine on 13 January 2009, there is no transit of Russian gas through Ukraine. The Secretary General reemphasised today his appeal to all parties involved to focus their efforts on restoring full operation of gas transit via Ukraine independent of finding solutions to pending commercial disputes. He welcomes the preparedness of Mr. George Verberg, former CEO of Gasunie and former President of the IGU, to lead conciliation efforts in line with the Energy Charter Treaty or in any framework acceptable to the Parties.

In this context, the Secretary General would also like to draw attention to the following comment by Mr. Verberg:

"The operational challenges on the Russian and Ukrainian gas transportation system due to the cease of Russian gas deliveries on to Ukraine on 1 January and the total loss of the Russian transit volumes in the course of 6-7 January - i.e. within a week - are of an unprecedented magnitude. Both volumes together exceed the total of the present Dutch and Norwegian gas production. Putting the system back into operation for the flow of the undisputed gas transit volumes of more than 270 Million m3/day is an unprecedented undertaking. This will require that all parties involved take a time out on all non-operational disputes in order  to focus on restarting the transit operation. This will especially require detailed advance coordination between all dispatching centres involved on all major details of such operation and continuous communication about their implementation. Even then, problems during the run up of the system cannot be excluded and the public should have a realistic view that the overall operation is likely to take several days."