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Ukraine’s draft budget-2013 formed at $421 per 1,000 cubic metres price for RF gas

In the first quarter of the current year, Ukraine imported natural gas from Russia at 416 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic metres

KIEV, December 5 (Itar-Tass) —— The Ukrainian state budget for 2013 was drafted proceeding from a price of 421 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic metres of Russia’s gas, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Vladimir Makukha said on Wednesday.

“In case of the gas price decline, the budget will be updated,” he said, adding, “But now, the price was established at 421 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic metres.”

This price is four U.S. dollars more than the price, which was declared in the parliament on Tuesday. An average cost for imported natural gas for Ukraine, which is envisaged by the state budget for 2013, is projected at 417 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic metres, Chairman of the parliamentary faction Party of Regions Alexander Yefremov said during Tuesday’s meeting of the parliament.

In Yefremov’s words, there is no information about Ukraine’s gas import prices from Europe in the draft state budget.

In the first quarter of the current year, Ukraine imported natural gas from Russia at 416 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic metres. The price grew to 425 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic metres in the second quarter of the year, and reached 426 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic metres in the third quarter. According to the Naftogaz Ukrainy national company, the cost of natural gas will go up for the country to 430 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic metres in the fourth quarter of the year.

Earlier, Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Yuri Boiko stated that Ukraine will cut gas import from Russia to 26 billion cubic metres in 2012. The task for the next year is to decrease gas import to 18-20 billion cubic metres owing to the undertaken measures aimed at energy saving, use of other kinds of fuel instead of gas and diversification of gas supplies to the country.

On November 1, Ukraine started importing gas from Europe, which is envisioned by the contract signed between the Naftogaz Ukrainy company and Germany’s RWE. Ukraine receives gas from Europe through the borderline with Poland. Under the contract, RWE is the owner of gas.

In Boiko’s words, Ukraine plans to step up import of European gas already starting from January 1, 2013. From that moment, Ukraine will receive gas import through the border with Hungary. The country plans to raise gas supplies from Europe to five billion cubic metres in 2013, the government representatives said.