Gazprom sends new warning to EU over Ukraine deal UK
Russia's Gazprom will consider new projects to liquefy gas instead of supplying it to Europe through pipelines, the firm said on Wednesday, citing increased transit risks.
"In circumstances when LNG markets are becoming more global and because of a goodly increase in transit risks, when documents ignoring the interests of Russia are signed, we need to have a new look at our LNG strategy and study the need to start new projects," Gazprom's chief executive said in a statement.
Alexei Miller did not say in the statement what "documents ignoring the interests of Russia" he was referring to, but Russian leaders and Gazprom have severely criticised a March agreement between Ukraine and the European Union.
The deal foresees the European Union investing in Ukraine's gas network. Russia said it was outraged that the two sides did not ask for its involvement despite the fact that it is the sole supplier of gas via the route.
Ukraine has said Russia was still free to join the plan to modernise its pipelines, but Russia said it was suspending talks with Ukraine over a $5 billion stabilisation loan until it gets clarification as to what the new deal with the EU means.
Gazprom and Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have given repeated warning that the country would produce more LNG if Europe did not move quickly enough in clearing Gazprom's new pipeline projects such as Nord Stream.
Gazprom only has one LNG project so far, Sakhalin-2 off Russia's Pacific coast of the same name, and is running almost a decade late with the launch of a giant Shtokman LNG project on the Barents Sea, now scheduled for 2013-2014.
Gazprom supplies a quarter of Europe's gas via pipelines and 80 percent of those volumes come via Ukraine.
"In circumstances when LNG markets are becoming more global and because of a goodly increase in transit risks, when documents ignoring the interests of Russia are signed, we need to have a new look at our LNG strategy and study the need to start new projects," Gazprom's chief executive said in a statement.
Alexei Miller did not say in the statement what "documents ignoring the interests of Russia" he was referring to, but Russian leaders and Gazprom have severely criticised a March agreement between Ukraine and the European Union.
The deal foresees the European Union investing in Ukraine's gas network. Russia said it was outraged that the two sides did not ask for its involvement despite the fact that it is the sole supplier of gas via the route.
Ukraine has said Russia was still free to join the plan to modernise its pipelines, but Russia said it was suspending talks with Ukraine over a $5 billion stabilisation loan until it gets clarification as to what the new deal with the EU means.
Gazprom and Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have given repeated warning that the country would produce more LNG if Europe did not move quickly enough in clearing Gazprom's new pipeline projects such as Nord Stream.
Gazprom only has one LNG project so far, Sakhalin-2 off Russia's Pacific coast of the same name, and is running almost a decade late with the launch of a giant Shtokman LNG project on the Barents Sea, now scheduled for 2013-2014.
Gazprom supplies a quarter of Europe's gas via pipelines and 80 percent of those volumes come via Ukraine.
