Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Kazakhstan's state-run KazTransGas gas transportation company has reduced gas supply to Kyrgyzstan over an unusual drop in air temperature, limited supply of Uzbekistan's gas, as well as increased gas consumption in the south of Kazakhstan, the company said in a statement.

A source at the Kazakh statistics agency told Azerbaijani news agency Trend that the volume of Kazakhstan's gas exports amounted to 6.851 billion cubic meters in January-November 2012 compared to 11.213 billion cubic meters during the same period of 2011.

Gas transit through Kazakhstan amounted to 70.162 billion cubic meters in the 11-month period, slightly down from 72 billion cubic meters in the same period of 2011.

Despite Kyrgyzstan's total debt worth $26.6 million, KazTransGas continues supplying natural gas to Kyrgyzstan.

According to the purchase and sale agreement, KazTransGas supplies Kazakh gas to the north of Kyrgyzstan.

In November Kyrgyzgaz, the Kyrgyz monopoly for distributing natural gas, reached an agreement with Uzbek state gas supply company Uztransgaz on Uzbek gas supplies to the north of Kyrgyzstan from December 1, 2012.

Uzbekistan scaled down supplies of its gas to Kyrgyzstan in the first week of December in connection with the drop in air temperature and increasing domestic demand. It further notified the other side about a complete halt of supplies from December 13, 2012.

KazTransGas has repeatedly notified Kyrgyz counterparts about limited resources of natural gas and a possible reduction in supplies.

Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Tayirbek Sarpashev will visit Kazakhstan to discuss gas supplies, Vecherni Bishkek newspaper quoted deputy mayor of the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, Torobekov Imashov, as saying on Monday.

According to Imashov, a time for full resumption of Kazakh gas supplies has not been determined yet.

"The energy minister told me that he had spoken on the issue with the prime minister and the decision was taken on Deputy Prime Minister Tayirbek Sarpashev's trip to Kazakhstan for gas talks," Imashov said.

According to Imashov, due to the restricted gas supplies from Kazakhstan, the suburbs of Bishkek were left without gas.

Kyrgyzstan hopes to receive cheaper gas in 2013, 24.kg website quoted Deputy General Director of Kyrgyzgas Kuralbek Naskeyev as saying at a press conference on Monday.

"Kyrgyzstan is in talks [with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan] to purchase natural gas next year at a lower price," Naskeyev said.

"We are asking for the price of $160 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas excluding transportation costs and $200 including transportation costs. As the gas is imported, the suppliers dictate the price," Naskeyev said.

According to Naskeyev, currently Kyrgyzstan imports Kazakh gas at $224 per 1,000 cubic meters and Uzbek gas at $290 per 1,000 cubic meters.

"There is an assumption that the contract will be for a large amount of gas," he said.

The negotiations have been underway for more than three months, Naskeyev added.

KazTransGas has to supply gas to Almaty through an additional line to provide Bishkek with fuel, Naskeyev noted.

"Gas is supplied to Almaty through transit from Uzbekistan to the north of Kyrgyzstan. In order to somehow provide Bishkek and Chuy Province with fuel, KazTransGas has to supply gas to Almaty through an additional line," Naskeyev said.

He stressed that high-rise buildings and social facilities of the country are still being supplied with electricity.

Naskeyev added that Kyrgyzstan has arge debt to Kazakhstan and therefore it cannot strongly demand that the Kazakh side supply gas volumes specified in the agreed terms of deliveries.