OREANDA-NEWS. August 31, 2011. In 6 months of 2011, The Joint Stock Company “Latvijas Gaze” (hereinafter – LG) sold to the consumers 925 million m3 of natural gas. Compared to the respective period of 2010, natural gas sales have decreased by 6 %, still being 13 % or 103 million m3 above the volume planned in the budget of 2011.

The increase of natural gas consumption both among industrial customers and households in 6 months of 2011 compared to the budget of 2011 stems from the protractedly low air temperature in the 1st quarter.

The gas injection season at the Incukalns Underground Gas Storage Facility (hereinafter – Incukalns UGS) began on April 26, 2011. Upon starting natural gas injection, the reserves of active gas at the Incukalns UGS were 41 million m3.

Over 6 months of 2011, the consumers have been sold natural gas and provided services for LVL 196 million, which is by 10 % more than in the respective period of 2010 and by 11 % more than budgeted.

The rise of income over the respective period of 2010 has taken place because in the 1st quarter of 2011 the industrial and residential customers were applied differential natural gas sale end-user tariffs corresponding to a natural gas sale price, which was by 35 % higher than in the 1st quarter of 2010. Compared to 2010, the income grew in both the industrial and the household customers sector.

LG completed 6 months of 2011 with a profit of LVL 8.2 million, which is by 3.8 % higher than in the respective period of 2010, when the profit amounted to LVL 7.9 million.

Within the framework of the capital investment programme, LVL 7 million of investment funds were spent over 6 months of 2011, mostly on the renovation of gas transmission pipelines, the modernization of technological equipment and wells and the construction of new gas pipelines.