OREANDA-NEWS. January 14, 2009. Today at 2.00 OAO Gazprom sent a note to the NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy United Dispatching Center (ODU) with a new request for transit deliveries of 98.8 million cubic meters of gas per day via Sudja gas metering station, which was to begin at 10.00 daily. From this amount, 13.9 million cubic meters are allocated for the customers in Moldova, another 62.7 million cubic meters are destined to the Balkans via Orlovka gas metering station, while 22.2 million cubic meters intended for the customers in Slovakia via Uzhgorod gas metering station.

A negative answer to the request for transit of the Russian natural gas via Sudja gas metering station was given by the ODU shift team manager Alexander Sidorenko. Once again, the following prerequisites for startup of the gas transit were mentioned: arrangement of gas flow via Pisarevka and Valujki gas metering stations, covering the domestic consumption of Ukraine, along with a demand to replenish gas volumes in the transit gas mains of the Naftogaz Ukrainy in the amount of 140 million cubic meters.

Such systematic equivocation on the part of NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy corroborates the fact that Ukraine is unable to replenish the Russian gas siphoned off illegally from the gas transmission system and to restore transit gas flow.

The Russian party keeps the gas taps open at Sudja gas metering station at the entry point to the Ukrainian gas transmission system, as well as maintains the operational pressure in the mains. OAO Gazprom is ready to resume gas supply for its customers in Europe at any moment.