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Antitrust watchdog obliges Gazprom to continue gas sales at SPIMEX

According to the Exchange, since the end of September, Gazprom Mezhregiongaz has stopped selling gas at organized trading, which led to a reduction in sales and an increase in its value

MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has issued a warning to Gazprom about the need to resume gas sales at the gas sales at St Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange (SPIMEX) in the format of "next day" trading, the watchdog said in a press release.

According to SPIMEX, in late September, Gazprom Mezhregiongaz (an affiliate of the Russian gas holding responsible for gas sales at the Exchange - TASS) stopped selling gas at the exchange, which led to a sharp reduction in sales volumes of exchange gas and a significant increase in its value. As a result, consumer demand for "exchange gas" is not satisfied, the FAS stressed.

Gazprom’s refusal to sell gas as part of the organized trading is contrary to the goals and objectives defined by the presidential decree and the competition development road map aimed at increasing the volume of exchange trade.

The FAS will continue to monitor the progress of organized gas trading and will take all necessary measures to ensure the possibility of acquiring gas at organized trading sessions," Dmitri Makhonin, head of the department for the regulation of the fuel and energy complex and the chemical industry at the FAS, said as quoted by the press release.

According to the warning, Gazprom Mezhregiongaz needs to take measures to remove signs of violation of antitrust laws and to ensure sales of natural gas at organized trading in the volumes, which are equal of the sales volumes of previous trading sessions.