As for last year's production volumes, we produced 500.1 billion cubic meters of gas and exported 199.3 billion cubic meters. The latter figure is slightly lower than in 2018, which was marked by a record 201.8 billion cubic meters. We also preserved our share in the European market at 35.6 per cent.

Significant volumes of Russian gas currently are transited to Germany via Poland, which are a key revenue generator for the country.

State-owned oil and gas major Gazprom announced on February 20 it is looking to produce hydrogen from natural gas.

Gazprom, OMV have agreed, inter alia, to extend until June 2022 the negotiations for the final agreement on the deal.

Construction works on the 55 Bcm/year Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline linking Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea were abruptly interrupted in late December after the US government implemented new sanctions threatening measures against contractors building the project.

Bulgaria imports 2.9 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia per year under a long-term contract valid through 2022.

The Ukrainian company's claims against the Russian state over the Crimea assets were left out of a settlement deal with Russia's Gazprom agreed at the end of December, which canceled out all existing arbitration claims by both parties as part of a new transit contract.

Gas demand across Europe has been unseasonably weak in January due to warm weather, with the month also seeing a re-routing of Russian gas exports to Europe with the start-up of the TurkStream gas pipeline to Turkey replacing some flows via Ukraine.

Gazprom supplied its first billion cubic meters of gas via the TurkStream gas pipeline.

Gazprom has done everything in its power, once again proving its reputation as a responsible supplier and a reliable partner.”