Shell Begins Gas Supplies to Ukraine

Royal Dutch Shell has begun exporting gas to Ukraine, expecting supplies at 120-130 million cubic metres in April, Ukrainian news agency Liga reported on Wednesday mentioning a government source. 

According to Reuters, the commercial details of the agreement have not been disclosed.  

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government took active steps to decrease gas consumption in the country. During a Government meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called on the Ministry of Energy and the National Commission for State Regulation in Energy and Public Utilities (NERC) to put pressure on the district heating companies that did not turn off heating.

"It is impossible with 20 degrees above zero outside to make people open the windows as the heating enterprises continue to intentionally burn gas to increase people’s bills… But not a single copeck of this fine should be included in the bills for the population” Yatsenyuk said in a note, explaining that Ukrainian authorities will define fines for heating companies.

During the same meeting the Ukrainian Prime Minister said that Kiev remains committed to the Minsk agreement.

“Ukraine remains committed to the peaceful settlement, unlike Russia and Russian terrorists” he argued in a separate note.