Russian concern Gazprom requested in a letter addressed to Premier Mugur Isarescu that Romania should no longer import natural gas from the Canadian firm International Regal Petroleum as the respective gas is stolen by the Ukrainian mafia from the Gazprom pipe that crosses Ukraine toward Turkey and Germany.
"Gazprom sent in January a letter to Premier Mugur Isarescu, drawing his attention to the fact that the gas imported from the Canadian firm was stolen from Gazprom pipe and then resold in Romania, Hungary and Poland," government sources told Ziarul Financiar. A similar letter was sent this month after Romania started importing Ukrainian gas. Gazprom accuses the three countries that they knowingly accepted importing natural gas stolen by Ukraine, worth over 500 million dollars.
Gazprom says that Ukraine last year stole almost ten million cubic metres of natural gas and almost the same amount during the first five months of this year. Moreover, Ukraine was to receive 32 billion cubic metres of Russian gas as payment for the transit of natural gas, but it used five billion cubic metres more than it should have.
The largest part of the gas quantity imported by Romanian authorities derives from Russia, the monopoly position allowing Gazprom to levy higher prices, of 122-127 dollars per 1000 cubic metres of gas. At present, Swiss company Wintershall in which Gazprom holds 50 percent, exports over one billion cubic metres annually, a fact that imposes it a certain monopoly position.
The route of Russian natural gas toward Romania passes through two oil pipes that enter the country at Isaccea Negru-Voda and Satu Mare.
Gabriel Coconea, the last general director of Romgaz ahead of its restructuring, says that this year Distrigaz Nord and Distrigaz Sud are to import one billion cubic metres of natural gas directly from Gazprom. Total imports derived last year from Russia stood at 3.5 billion cubic metres.
"Romgaz does not import natural gas from Ukraine because they have not submitted any offer. Instead, Transgaz secures the transport of natural gas imported by Conel and Sidex from Ukraine," Coconea says.
Practically, Conel signed at the end of last year a contract for the import of natural gas from International Regal Petroleum, a Canadian company holding several oil and natural gas fields in Ukraine and Romania.
The respective contract stipulates Conel's acquisition of two million Ncm of natural gas daily, which means 14 percent of the total quantity of natural gas imported by the Romanian state.
The price proposed by the Canadian company in the supply contract stands at 74-76$/1000 cubic metres, 30 percent lower than the price levied by Gazprom or Swiss company Wintershall.
"We signed the contract at the end of last year, but we initiated it one month ago because IRP had several problems with Gazprom," state Conel chairman, Tudor aerban.
This spring, Trade and Industry minister Radu Berceanu had several conflicts with Romgaz managers, who refused to secure the transportation of gas imported by Conel from Regal Petroleum. Gaz Metan Medias trade union federation president Miron Neagu says that Romgaz managers' refusal was due to some information according to which "the gas for which Romgaz refused to secure transportation was in fact part of the Russian-Ukrainian dispute, which remains unsolved."
As far as Gazprom's position is concerned, Berceanu accuses the company's managers of displaying a Bolshevik way of thinking, and says that gas imports through Regal Petroleum will not cease. Moreover, Berceanu maintains that gas imports can be currently operated for $46/1,000 Nmc.
Romgaz, which was recently split into five independent companies, imports 25-35% of the necessary gas quantities from Russia. The rest of 65-75% is secured by Petrom, which produces 6 billion cubic metres annually (40% of the market) and by other importers, such as Conel, Sidex and almost every chemical fertiliser producer.
"Prime Minister Mugur Isarescu is determined to solve this problem by varying the sources from which Romania is importing gas. The next partner might be German company Ruhr," government sources say. Ruhr is willing to build, without governmental guarantees, a prolongation of the oil pipeline reaching Hungary, thus connecting to the Romanian distribution system.
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