Ukraine Says it Will Not Offer Extra Interruptible Gas Transit Capacity for October

KYIV (Reuters) — Ukraine's gas pipeline operator will not offer additional interruptible transit capacity for Russian gas to Europe for October as supplier Gazprom has not booked any extra guaranteed capacity, the operator said on Thursday.

Gas supplies are being closely watched amid a surge in wholesale prices that is driving up bills and putting some distribution companies out of business. Some European politicians have questioned whether Russia is deliberately restricting supplies, an allegation it denies.

On Monday, Interfax news agency said Gazprom had booked around a third of the gas transit capacity it was offered for October via the Yamal-Europe pipeline and no extra transit capacity via Ukraine.

Gazprom and Ukraine agreed a five-year deal on Russian gas transit to Europe at the end of 2019. The Russian company has the right to book extra transit capacity in addition to already agreed volumes.

Around 20% of the total extra capacity is known as firm, or guaranteed, capacity, which Gazprom regularly books at the Sudzha crossing point.

Recently, Gazprom has also decided against booking this capacity, which was split between Sudzha (9.8 million cubic meters (mcm) per day) and Sokhranovka (5.2 mcm per day) crossing points.

The other 80% is interruptible capacity, which depends on the technical capability of Ukraine's gas pipeline operator and is not typically booked by Gazprom.

"We can offer interruptible (capacity) only if firm were bought. And for October they were not bought," an official from Ukraine's gas pipeline operator told Reuters.

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