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2017-11-20 09:20:00

RUSSIA'S GAS FOR EUROPE UP

RUSSIA'S GAS FOR EUROPE UP

 

PLATTSGazprom's natural gas supplies to western Europe edged up by 3% year on year in the third quarter of 2017, according to an S&P Global Platts analysis of Gazprom data, as Russian gas deliveries to its core markets continue to outpace last year's levels.

The Russian gas giant has largely focused its marketing efforts on maintaining healthy relationships with its key customers in western Europe in recent years, with contract renegotiations allowing increased flexibility on pricing and volumes.

Gazprom wants to make sure it can fill the growing import gap expected in northwestern Europe as domestic output drops sharply, driven by lower production in the Netherlands and likely the UK.

It has also used the increase in supplies to the key markets of northwest Europe as proof of the need for the 55 Bcm/year Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to guarantee security of supply to northwestern Europe.

According to Gazprom's Q3 earnings report published this week, Russian gas supplies to western Europe -- Germany, Italy, France, Finland, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark and the UK -- reached 28.5 Bcm in the second quarter, up from 27.7 Bcm in the same period last year.

The increase was driven by Italy and France, which saw increases of 5.2% and 17.3%, respectively, in Russian gas purchases compared with the same period last year.

In Germany, Gazprom's sales were flat year on year at 11.6 Bcm, but it is still comfortably the biggest buyer of Russian gas from Gazprom.

Gazprom is headed for a new record in 2017 for gas supplies to Europe -- not including the countries of the former Soviet Union -- as demand for Russian gas continues to grow on strong demand in the power sector and falling domestic output.

Germany in particular has seen rising demand for gas for power generation so far in 2017, especially in combined heat and power (CHP) units.

TURKEY SURGE

Gazprom's supplies to its key Turkish market were also significantly higher year on year in Q3 at 6.8 Bcm, an increase of 32% from 5.1 Bcm in the corresponding period last year.

That makes Turkey the second biggest market for Russian gas in the period, overtaking Italy which had been in second place in Q3 last year.

For the first nine months of the year, Gazprom has supplied Turkey with a total of 21.2 Bcm, an increase of 24% year on year from 17.1 Bcm.

The increase can be attributed in part to the improved relations between Ankara and Moscow, which were strained in the first half of 2016 after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet on the border with Syria in November 2015.

It also comes against the background of overall Turkish gas demand slowing in recent years.

Consumption fell in 2016 for the first time since 2009 to 46 Bcm and had been expected to be stagnant this year as Turkey looks to depend more on domestic resources for power generation.

Russia dominates Turkish gas supply, its exports accounting for around one half of its demand.

Relations between Russia and Turkey moved firmly back on track in October 2016 with the signing of an intergovernmental agreement paving the way for the construction of two 15.75 Bcm/year strings of the TurkStream pipeline from Russia to Turkey.

With TurkStream construction well under way, the framework for continued strong Russian gas supplies to Turkey seems fully cemented.

EASTERN EUROPEAN RISE

Gazprom's supplies to eastern Europe also rose in Q3, continuing the trend from the first two quarters of the year.

Volumes totaled 8.9 Bcm, up 11% compared with the same quarter of 2016, despite a significant dip in purchases by Poland -- the region's biggest Russian gas consumer.

Poland has begun to increasingly diversify its gas imports by bringing in more LNG to its new import terminal on its Baltic Sea coast at Swinoujscie and importing gas from the west.

As a result, Poland's purchases of Russian gas dipped by 21.4% to 2.1 Bcm in Q3 compared with the same period last year.

Elsewhere, sales in Slovakia and the Czech Republic moved up on higher demand, while Romanian imports were zero.

Romania imported significant volumes of Russian gas in the second half of 2016 and the start of 2017 as the price of Russian gas fell below the cost of domestic Romanian production.

But as Russian prices edged up, Romania was able to secure its demand through increased domestic gas output.

Croatia also continued to import Gazprom gas throughout the third quarter having resumed purchases at the start of 2017, with supplies reaching 0.8 Bcm in Q3.

In December 2016, Gazprom signed a supply deal with Croatia's Prvo Plinarsko Drustvo (PPD) for the first three quarters of 2017, and then in September extended the agreement with a longer 10-year deal through 2027 for 1 Bcm/year.

Gazprom supplies to the former Soviet Union rose in Q3 thanks to a 7.7% year-on-year jump in purchases by Belarus to 3.8 Bcm in the period.

In April, Minsk and Moscow finally settled a year-long dispute over gas prices and debts, with the new agreement seeing Belarus enjoy a lower Russian gas price.

Total sales to the ex-Soviet Union were up 3.1% to 5.7 Bcm.

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Earlier:

EUROPEAN ECONOMY UP 3.3%
2017, November, 9, 13:45:00

EUROPEAN ECONOMY UP 3.3%

Average growth across the EBRD region is seen at 3.3 per cent this year, a rise of 0.9 percentage points against the previous forecast from May, and compared with growth of just 1.9 per cent in 2016. The economy in Russia, the largest in the EBRD region and a major influence on output in many other EBRD countries of operations, has now pulled out of recession after a cumulative contraction of 3 per cent over the last two years. Russia is expected to see GDP growth of 1.8 and 1.7 per cent in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

 
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2017, September, 4, 12:30:00

RUSSIAN GAS FOR EUROPE: UP TO 23%

Russian natural gas volumes piped via Ukraine to European consumers are up by 23.4 percent so far this year at 61.9 billion cubic metres (bcm), Ukrainian gas transport monopoly Ukrtransgaz said.

 

 U.S. LNG FOR EUROPE - 4
2017, August, 31, 12:15:00

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Last week, U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) made its way to the somewhat unlikely market of Lithuania. The former Soviet republic traditionally bought its gas from Russian state company Gazprom; this was its first shipment from the United States. For President Donald Trump, that must have been a gratifying sign of the success of his administration’s nascent energy diplomacy.

 

 HUGE NORWAY'S OIL & GAS
2017, August, 28, 19:40:00

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 GAZPROM'S EXTRA CAPACITY
2017, July, 28, 09:50:00

GAZPROM'S EXTRA CAPACITY

Russia's Gazprom will soon be able to bid for up to 12.8 Bcm/year of extra capacity in Germany's 36.5 Bcm/year Opal natural gas pipeline after an EU court lifted a temporary ban late Friday.

 

 IMF WANT EUROPE
2017, July, 26, 14:35:00

IMF WANT EUROPE

The European Union could do more to convince countries to put EU reform recommendations into practice. For example, targeted support from the EU budget could be provided to incentivize reforms. The EU should also continue pushing for greater integration of the energy, transport, and digital markets.

 

 GAZPROM UP 12%
2017, July, 7, 07:55:00

GAZPROM UP 12%

"Our gas in Europe sees increasing demand. Gas export pipeline Nord Stream is in demand by more than 100%. On certain days at the last fall/winter season, the flow stood at 111% of its capacity," Miller said.

Tags: RUSSIA, GAS, EUROPE, GAZPROM