During four days, the Government hadn’t known that Gazprom supplied gas to the right side of the Nistru, contrary to the assertions that the whole quantity of gas is directed to the left side. The Moldovan subsidiary of the Russian gas giant had the right to act like this, based on the agreement between Moldovagaz and Gazprom. Moreover, if Moldovagaz refuses the agreed gas amount, penalties can be imposed, said Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov.
The official told a news conference that the return to gas purchases from Gazprom was a surprise for the Moldovan authorities. Immediately after he learned about it, he asked to make the purchases public and Moldovagaz issued a press release explaining that given that the temperatures rose in the second half of this month, the natural gas consumption on the left side of the Nistru decreased considerably.
Victor Parlicov noted the consumers from the right side now do not need these supplies as they are provided with gas and this is the subtlety of the moment. The amounts for the right side of the Nistru were purchased and stored by Energocom last autumn, when the price of cubic meter of gas on the market was twice higher than at present. As the purchase piece now was almost similar to the price of gas from Energocom, the decision to buy gas from Gazprom was inopportune.
“If there had been surpluses of gas on the left side, discussions with Gazprom should have been held to ask to reduce the supplies. Something like this wasn’t done. I now understand that they will make such a move. My request is for Moldovagaz to immediately start purchasing gas from Energocom,” said Victor Parlicov, noting Moldovagaz’s decision is not illegal and represents rather an opportunity of promoting the product of the majority shareholder.
In March, Gazprom is to supply a total volume of 176.7 million cubic meters of gas a month or 5.7 million cubic meters a day to Moldova. By the middle of March, the whole amount received by Moldovagaz was directed to Tiraspoltransgaz for the consumers from the left side of the Nistry, including Moldavscaia GRES (Kuchurgan Power Plant), which produces electricity for the right side of the Nistru. As the temperatures have risen, the natural gas consumption on the left bank of the Nistru has decreased considerably. Given that the price of natural gas supplied by Gazprom is practically similar to the price of the gas supplied by Energocom, Moldovagaz until the end of March intends to purchase 0.7-0.8 million cubic meters of gas a day from Gazprom and about 1.3-1.5 million cubic meters of gas a day from Energocom.
