Gazprom CEO sees gas price for Ukraine rising in Jan–Mar 2017

MOSCOW, Dec 19 (PRIME) – International natural gas prices are rising and the average price for exports of Russian gas giant Gazprom, including sales to Ukraine, will be higher in January–March 2017 than in October–December 2016, CEO Alexei Miller told reporters on Monday.

“We have a price formula, let’s wait for the end of the fourth quarter. It is worth noting here that the gas market now has a trend for rising, as the oil price has grown in the first place. And it affects the gas price,” he said.

“I will not mention any absolute figures, but the general trend for the average price for supplies of our gas to foreign markets in the first quarter is higher than in the fourth quarter of 2016,” he said commenting on Ukraine’s price for Russian gas in January–March 2017.

Russia, Ukraine and the E.U. held talks on December 9, when Kiev said it was ready to buy 1.5–4 billion cubic meters of Russian gas this winter, while Russia confirmed its readiness to ensure the supplies to Ukraine and the E.U. But the countries failed to agree on resumption of pumping as Kiev insists on signing an additional agreement to the contract with Gazprom leaving out a “take-or-pay” condition.

Ukrainian energy holding Naftogaz Ukrainy’s CEO Andrei Kobolev said that Kiev does not plan to buy gas from Russian gas giant Gazprom until the end of the year.

Earlier on Monday, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters that Moscow has no plans to hold trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the E.U. to discuss gas issues until the end of 2016.

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