Poland says receives only half of contracted Russian gas

WARSAW. January 23. KAZINFORM Only 50% of agreed Russian gas supplies, transited via Ukraine to Europe, have reached Poland, a spokeswoman for the Polish energy company PGNiG said.

"In the past 24 hours gas supplies were resumed through the [gas distribution] station Drozdovichi at the Polish-Ukrainian border," Joanna Zakrzewska said on Thursday. "However, as of 18:00 [CET, 17:00 GMT], we were receiving gas at the rate of 7 million cubic meters a day." Under the contract with Swiss energy trader RosUkrEnergo, Poland should receive 14 million cubic meters of gas daily. Poland confirmed on Wednesday the resumption of Russian gas deliveries transited via Ukraine. Poland annually consumes some 14 billion cu m of natural gas, with 6.2 bcm imported from Russia. The country produces another 4.2 bcm itself and transits 30 bcm of gas to Germany. RosUkrEnergo declined to comment on the situation, Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.