Russia`s Gazprom plans to pump up to 60 billion cubic meters of natural gas via Belarus to customers elsewhere in Europe in 2013, which would be 25 percent more than projected for this year, says the draft agenda of the Russian gas monopoly’s forthcoming general meeting that was released on Saturday.
This past March, Uladzimir Mayoraw, director general of Belarusian-based gas pipeline company AAT Beltranshaz, which is now fully owned by Gazprom, said that Gazprom planned to pump 48 billion cubic meters of gas via Belarus this year, using Beltranshaz’s pipeline system and the Yamal-Europe pipeline. The pipelines, which have annual capacities of 30 billion and 33 billion cubic meters, respectively, carry gas to Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland.
In accordance with the draft agenda, Gazprom will pay up to $570 million to Beltransaz for the transportation of 60 billion cubic meters of gas in 2013.
It also features a draft agreement whereby Gazprom will sell Beltranshaz up to 23 billion cubic meters of gas for $4.1 billion next year.
Gazprom reportedly pumped 44.3 billion cubic meters of gas via Belarus in 2011, which was 2.3 percent more than the previous year. It also shipped 20 billion cubic meters to the country for its domestic needs.
This year, Belarus plans to buy 21.5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas.
In pursuance of agreements signed in Moscow in November last year, Gazprom has become the 100-percent owner of Beltranshaz, pledging to charge Belarus $165.6 per 1000 cubic meters of gas this year compared with $265 in 2011.
Belarus is expected to pay $166 per 1000 cubic meters of natural gas next year and $178 in 2014.
