Petrom redirects gas for people’s consumption after temporarily shutting down chemical unit

The largest gas and oil company in Romania, Petrom, announced today it closed chemical plant Doljchim and gave the 1.2 million cubic meters of gas needed there for people’s consumption to help cope with the cut in shipments from Russia.

Petrom, which provides about a third of the country’s gas, will open on January 5 the well in Paraieni where there are gas reserves to be used in case the cut in deliveries prolongs, the head of gas operator Transgaz Medias, Ioan Rusu, told NewsIn.

Local authorities mull these decisions are unrelated to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine over the price of shipments in 2009 which triggered a cut in deliveries to Europe.

Yet, shipments to Romania from Russia’s Gazprom, via Ukraine, lowered 32 percent yesterday, as an effect of the misunderstandings between the providing and transporting countries.

Consequently, Romania will receive until January 11 only 3.1 million cubic meters of gas out the 7.1 million scheduled.

But the country will have no problems supplying natural gas to consumers as it has enough reserves to face the 32 percent cut in Russian deliveries, likely to last for another week, Economy Minister Adriean Videanu said today after an informal meeting.

He then added during a telephone conversation at Realitatea TV that reserves this year are 30 percent better than expected. State-run gas company Romgaz stored more gas than in the previous year, he also said. Romgaz operates eight gas deposits, out of which it owns six.

Moreover, Petrom has a good gas production which can be used in case of shortcomings, Videanu added.

Romania imports about a third of its gas from Russia. Its population annually consumes some 18 billion cubic meters of gas.

Gazprom yesterday announced it raised deliveries via Belarus, as an alternative to the Ukrainian routes after talks on the price of shipments for 2009 failed.

Russia supplies a quarter of Europe’s gas, 80 percent of which is shipped through Ukraine.