VIENNA, February 13. /TASS/. Russian gas may flow to Austria even after OMV’s withdrawal from the supply contract as it is not always possible to define the origin of gas on the exchange, former top manager of the Austrian oil and gas concern Otto Musilek told TASS.

The company covers around one third of Austria’s gas demand, he said, adding that even if it finds a substitution for gas supplied from Russia, the question of ensuring the remaining 70% of demand remains open.

"If gas is purchased on the exchange it is very difficult to define its origin," Musilek said. This means that Austrian importers may not know that they purchase Russian gas. "Without Russian gas overall" it is not possible to fully ensure supply of gas to Europe, the expert noted.