Russian Gas Major Stops Gas Import From Turkmenistan

Russia's Gazprom Export, the export arm of Russian gas major Gazprom, has informed Turkmenistan that it has decided to cease import of Turkmen natural gas, according to a statement from Turkmengaz.

The move follows a steady decline in recent years of the volume of Turkmen gas Russia imports. Last year, Russia decreased its level of gas imports from Turkmenistan from 10.4 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2014 to about 4 bcm in 2015.

Today, Turkmengaz, Turkmenistan's state-owned natural gas company, said that Gazprom Export has informed Turkmengaz that it will not import any further Turkmen gas.

According to the Turkmengaz statement, Gazprom Export blamed the current challenges in the global gas markets, as well as financial and economic problems, for its decision to cut gas import from Turkmenistan.

In 2012, Russia purchased 19.6 bcm of Turkmen gas. The country gradually decreased this volume in the years that followed.

Neither Gazprom nor Gazprom Export had released any statement on the decision at the time of writing.