"Rosneft" Agent

At the end of last week, "Gazprom" has received from the Ministry of Energy project agency agreement with "Rosneft" to export its gas to the UK, according to a senior source in "Gazprom", and confirmed two members of the monopoly and the officer "Gazprom export" ( "daughter" of "Gazprom") . It was assumed that "Gazprom" will buy gas from "Rosneft" on the export netback (export price minus transportation costs) and to deliver its British BP - a draft of such an agreement "Rosneft" sent to the Ministry of Energy and then transferred to "Gazprom". But the gas monopoly would reject the draft agreement "and in essence and in form", told the interlocutors.

A negative response to "Gazprom" has been prepared, now it is to be signed by the company's management, said one of them (the head of "Gazprom" Alexey Miller only May 10 came out of the holiday). Among the reasons that "Gazprom" does not agree to become an agent of "Rosneft", - the threat of competition "Russian gas with Russia", as well as the possible lack of truboprovodnoy power. "European and Turkish buyers of" Gazprom ", taking into account the obligations of" take or pay "contracted for long-term gas companies in quantities much greater than the actual sale. In a period of low demand for gas have surplus capacity. But if the buyer's request to increase the supply in the framework of existing contractual obligations, in pipelines may simply run out of gas pumping party ", - says a source in" Gazprom ".

Press-service of "Gazprom" and "export Gazprom" declined to comment.

Letters Sechin

The head of "Rosneft" Igor Sechin in October 2015 asked President Vladimir Putin to allow the company to export gas sales BP (owns 19.75% of "Rosneft") in the amount of 7 billion cubic meters. m per year, told sources in March. Then, the press-secretary of "Rosneft" Mikhail Leontiev confirmed that the company has a European buyer (but not called him), and Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that no decision on the admission to the export in pipelineWater gas of other companies, in addition to "Gazprom" is not accepted.

According to two sources in "Gazprom", in the beginning of April 2016 Sechin, Putin wrote a new letter, in which he reported that BP is ready in the future to increase the purchase of gas from "Rosneft" to 25-50 billion cubic meters. m per year if the Russian company will be entitled to export gas by itself or through the "daughter" of "Gazprom". For information about the new letter confirmed the source of "Rosneft". But then the differences begin: according to a source in the "Rosneft", Putin is in writing resolution "Agree", and according to sources in "Gazprom", a resolution on the letter no.

Press Secretary of "Rosneft" Leontyev and BP representative in Russia, Vladimir Buyanov declined to comment. Putin's spokesman Peskov did not respond to the request.

Right, not an obligation

May 6 on the draft agency agreement "Rosneft" with "Gazprom" told reporters Energy Minister Alexander Novak. He said that the Ministry of Energy continues to advocate for the preservation of a single export channel, and concludede agency agreement - the issue of civil relations "Gazprom" and "Rosneft". A similar position is Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, who oversees the energy sector. On Tuesday, May 10, he said that the government did not discuss the liberalization of the gas exports and has no plans to change the regulatory framework to be able to organize the export of pipeline gas "Rosneft". A agency agreement - a voluntary matter, "I know that the" Gazprom "and" Rosneft "are interconnected discussion. If "Gazprom" wants to work on the basis of an agency agreement - has the right to do himself. But I'm not sure what he wants. At least, the comments were that they would not "- quoted Dvorkovich TASS.

"The fall in prices seen in any case"

"Rosneft" and Novatek, which is also seeking opportunities to export gas to Europe via "Gazprom" will have the right of pipeline gas exports to Europe, I am sure the chief economist of the British BP, Vladimir Drebentsov. In an interview with "Interfax" on the sidelines "the Flame 2016" conference, he said that the words of the Russian authorities to dischargeshenii gas exports "through a single export channel" (via "Gazprom"), in fact, already mean the resolution of gas export by independent producers. "I understand that Russia wants to sell more gas, and" Gazprom "has rested in the limits [of the EU antitrust agency], and independent gas can be sold."

According Drebentsova, the argument that export liberalization will lead to a fall in prices, is untenable: "The fall in prices will be seen in any case, because in Europe there will be more gas from other sources." Russia will have to make a choice between market share and revenue, while the main competitor of Russian gas is LNG, primarily from the US, which in April launched gas export to Europe, the expert added.

Senior Analyst Maria Belova Vygon Consulting believes that the European gas market is already "perekontraktovan": the average level of gas extraction contracts is about 75%. If current projections of demand for gas Europe has closed its gas needs until 2025, so the new players on the market will have to offer significant discounts, warns Belova.


According to "Gazprom export", in 2015 158 560 000 000 cubic meters were supplied to European countries and Turkey. meters of gas. Last year, the Russian company for the first time in 10 years increased its share in the European gas market - from 30 to 31%, said deputy chairman of "Gazprom" Alexander Medvedev. In January-April 2016 the total volume of exports of "Gazprom" in the countries of Western Europe and Turkey was 57.4 billion cubic meters. m, which is 20% higher than the volume of deliveries over the same period of 2015, reported "Interfax" referring to the European transit countries.