Gazprom Considering Gas Transit Increase Through Belarus

Gazprom may increase supply to Europe through Belarus, CEO of Gazprom Alexey Miller said yesterday.

Speaking at a meeting to the press in Belarus, Mr. Miller said that Gazprom saw a number of increases in the supply of gas to Belarus taking place, including transit to other countries and increases in  underground storage in the country.

Gas extraction from underground storage in Belarus was expected to be tripled by 2020, the Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BELTA) reported Mr. Miller as saying. The agency also reported that the CEO said that an increased transit deal for Belarus was under consideration at the moment and would be discussed in the future.

"We see good prospects for such developments," he said. "Belarus' potential as a transit country has not been exhausted and we see the possibility of increasing transit in the near future."

The company would also continue to give preferential prices to Belarus, Mr. Miller told reporters. Belarus has been getting preferential pricing for gas supply since November of last year following Gazprom's acquisition of the Belarusian government's 50 per cent stake in gas company Beltransgaz. Gazprom now holds a 100 per cent stake in Beltransgaz.