Gazprom turns taps back on as ‘gesture of good will’

October 13th, 2009 Gazprom says preliminary deal struck with ChinaBEIJING — The head of Russia's state-run natural gas monopoly Gazprom said Tuesday a preliminary deal had been reached to supply China National Petroleum Corp. with 70 billion cubic meters of gas a year.

June 25th, 2009 Gazprom considers 30 pct cut in investmentMOSCOW — Gazprom, Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly, said Thursday it may cut its investment program by 30 percent this year due to weaker finances amid the global economic downturn. The Gazprom deputy chief for finances, Andrei Kruglov, told a news conference that "the current difficult situation will call for a change of plans." He insisted, however, that Gazprom has enough cash and credit facilities to maintain a high level of liquidity.

June 24th, 2009 Gazprom sales weak, but European demand recoveringMOSCOW — Russian gas monopoly Gazprom expects sales to drop by about 40 percent this year despite increased consumption in Europe in recent months, deputy CEO Alexander Medvedev said Wednesday. Gazprom's exports to Europe in the first half of the year will total 60 billion cubic meters, 26 percent less than initially planned, said Medvedev, who is foreign operations chief for the state-controlled behemoth.

June 23rd, 2009 Gazprom is king of the hill in Russian regionMOSCOW — Coming soon to the stunning snowcapped peaks of southern Siberia — probably the world's highest billboard. Leaders in the remote Russian region of Altai want to name one of the region's tallest mountains in honor of Gazprom, the state-run natural gas monopoly and corporate behemoth.

January 22nd, 2009 ATHENS - Bulgaria estimates its losses from recent cuts in Russian gas supplies at about $320 million and is demanding compensation from Russia's energy giant Gazprom, the country's economy and energy ministry said Friday. 'Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov handed Gazprom's deputy CEO Alexander Medvedev an official request during talks in Sofia, insisting that Bulgaria be compensated for the crisis caused by cuts in gas supplies (from Russia),' the ministry said in a statement.

January 19th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russian gas was on its way to Europe Tuesday after the Russian monopoly Gazprom began pumping it into a Ukrainian transit pipeline for the first time since a nearly two-week supply blockade began. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said in Moscow that Gazprom began the deliveries at 4 a.m.

January 19th, 2009 MOSCOW - Ukraine's gas system started receiving Russian gas for transit to Europe Tuesday, a spokesman of Russian energy giant Gazprom said. Following Sunday's talks between the two countries' premiers, Gazprom and Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz Monday signed a contract on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine for 2009-19.

January 18th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia's energy giant Gazprom and Ukraine's energy company Naftogaz Monday signed a new contract on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine. Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Moscow and Kiev had reached agreement on all issues of gas transit and supplies.

January 13th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russian gas has been stolen after being pumped into Ukraine's gas transportation system, an official spokesman for Russian energy giant Gazprom has said. Under Monday's deal with the European Union (EU) and Ukraine, Gazprom Tuesday resumed pumping gas into Ukraine for transit to Europe.

January 12th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom said Tuesday Ukraine has again blocked on-shipments of Russian gas to Europe. 'This morning Gazprom began realising its plan to restore gas deliveries to Europe.

January 9th, 2009 BRUSSELS - A European Union (EU)-brokered deal designed to resume Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine hung in the balance Friday as officials from Moscow and Kiev continued to accuse each other of blocking progress. The latest row erupted just as the first members of an EU monitoring mission arrived in Kiev, with more expected within 24 hours.

January 6th, 2009 BERLIN/KIEV - Ukraine has closed down the fourth and final pipeline pumping Russian gas to Europe, Russia's energy giant Gazprom said Wednesday. Ukraine's national energy company Naftogaz said Gazprom had stopped feeding gas to Ukrainian pipes, hence it closed down its network.

January 3rd, 2009 MOSCOW - Ukraine illegally tapped 50 million cubic metres of Russian natural gas bound for European consumers, a spokesman for Russian energy giant Gazprom said Sunday. 'Over the past 24 hours (since Saturday), we fed 295 million cubic metres of gas into the Ukrainian gas transportation system that was more than requested by European consumers, but we had only 270 million on the output (data),' Sergei Kupriyanov said.

January 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US Thursday urged Russia and the Ukraine to resolve their dispute over payments and debts owed for natural gas in a 'transparent, commercial manner'. In a statement issued by US Department of State acting deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid, the US said it was 'concerned' that Russia's Gazprom had cut off gas that is sold to Ukraine.

December 26th, 2008 MOSCOW - Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom has said its dispute with Ukraine over payments could cause disruptions in deliveries to Western Europe, a news agency reported. Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said that the head of the Russian gas behemoth Alexei Miller had notified Europe's largest clients that it could not rule out the possibility of a cut off, according to Itar-Tass.