• 3 minutes e-car sales collapse
  • 6 minutes America Is Exceptional in Its Political Divide
  • 11 minutes Perovskites, a ‘dirt cheap’ alternative to silicon, just got a lot more efficient
  • 3 hours GREEN NEW DEAL = BLIZZARD OF LIES
  • 7 days If hydrogen is the answer, you're asking the wrong question
  • 21 hours How Far Have We Really Gotten With Alternative Energy
  • 11 days Biden's $2 trillion Plan for Insfrastructure and Jobs

Perry: Poland, Ukraine To Work With U.S. To Reduce Dependence On Russian Gas

The United States will work with Poland and Ukraine to reduce their dependence on Russian gas, media reported after a meeting between U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Polish and Ukrainian officials.

“We’re helping Poland to reduce its dependence on Russian gas,” Perry said, as quoted by Reuters.

“We will take every effort to diversify gas supplies to Ukraine, which is now completely dependent on Russian deliveries,” Piotr Naimski, in charge of Poland’s energy infrastructure, said.

Poland is less dependent on Russian gas than Ukraine is, which is entirely dependent on it, and is already importing U.S. liquefied natural gas. These imports are set to rise as the Polish government works to reduce its intake of Russian gas as quickly as possible and as much as possible.

Naimski said Poland was going to increase its own exports of natural gas to Ukraine, from the current 1.5 billion cubic meters a year to 6 billion cubic meters beginning in two years. The increase will apparently come from the substantial boost in the imports of U.S. LNG.

Ukraine is certainly in a more difficult position than Poland. A third of Russian gas sent to Europe passes through its eastern neighbor, and in addition to the transit fees Ukraine receives, it also receives gas for its own consumption.

Yet Ukraine’s gas delivery contract with Gazprom will expire next January and it will expire after a prolonged legal battle between the Russian giant and its smaller Ukrainian counterpart, Naftogaz Ukrainy, which the latter won. Now, the Ukrainians are worried the Russians might decide to not renew the contract and cut the country off from its gas.

The Russian side has not mentioned this possibility, though. At the moment, the two are negotiating the terms of the next gas transit contract. The next round of talks will begin this month, with the participation of EU officials as a party with a vested interest given the volumes of Russian gas the EU receives through Ukraine.

ADVERTISEMENT

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:



Join the discussion | Back to homepage



Leave a comment

Leave a comment

EXXON Mobil -0.35
Open57.81 Trading Vol.6.96M Previous Vol.241.7B
BUY 57.15
Sell 57.00
Oilprice - The No. 1 Source for Oil & Energy News