BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 9
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
The deputy head of the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan denied information that the LUKOIL Russian Oil Company has completely suspended the export of blue fuel, Trend reports.
Deputy Energy Minister Bekhzot Normatov announced at a press conference that LUKOIL sold about five billion cubic meters of gas to the domestic market of Uzbekistan in 2020.
“Our export volumes decreased five times due to a decrease in demand from our main consumer, China, due to the pandemic. LUKOIL did not suspend exports in this direction,” Normatov said.
He said that LUKOIL has decided to reduce and keep export volumes at a minimum since the company will not export gas at an unsuitable price.
“We have an agreement with LUKOIL, and in case of additional demand we can supply gas to the domestic market at the indicated prices,” Normatov said.
The Deputy Energy Minister pointed out that due to the redirection of gas to the domestic market, gas was pumped ahead of schedule into the Gazli and Khojaabad underground storage facilities (2.8 of 3 billion cubic meters) in the required volume.
In August, it was reported that LUKOIL had suspended gas exports to China from its projects in Uzbekistan due to weak demand. As a result, the company agreed with Uzbekistan to redirect gas to the domestic market.
At the same time, from November 1, Uzbekistan introduced restrictions on the use of natural gas for economic entities, including restaurants and cafes. The Ministry of Energy calls this a necessary measure and notes that in the near future, the use of alternative fuels will be provided not only in the autumn-winter period.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @romakayeva