Romania on March 29 exported 400,000 cubic meters of gas to the Republic of Moldova, something that happens quite rarely, according to interactive data of Romania’s Transgaz, IPN reports with reference to Cotidianul from over the Prut.

Also, the same day Transgaz pumped 4.3 million cubic meters from Bulgaria and proceeded to extract 1.1 million cubic meters from storage facilities. On the other hand, 2.3 million cubic meters were stored, this being a proof that demand for gas in Romania is not so great.

Romania is among the few countries in Europe which can satisfy most of its domestic demand from own sources. There are three major producers in the country: Romgaz, Petrom and BSOG, in the Black Sea. It also has pipeline connections with all its neighbors, except Serbia. Gas can therefore come both via the southern route, through Bulgaria, and from the West, through Hungary.

As from April 1, according to Transgaz director Ion Sterian, Romania will start to transit large quantities of gas from Turkey to Hungary, collecting the related transit tariffs. Turkey and Hungary have an agreement in place for the delivery of 275 million cubic meters annually and the gas is to come via Bulgaria and Romania.

As for the Republic of Moldova in the regional gas distribution network, IPN reported that Moldova and Ukraine joined the Vertical Gas Corridor, which connects Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary.

Launched in 2016, the Vertical Corridor will now integrate the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline and allow natural gas to be transported from Greece to Moldova and underground storage facilities in Ukraine.  The pipeline could transport both piped gas from Azerbaijan and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Revythoussa and Alexandroupoli terminals of Greece.

In January, SA Energocom had already tested the mechanism for transporting these purchases to Moldova.