Less than 5% of Bulgaria's Gas Needs Covered by Local Production
Less than 5% of natural gas consumption in Bulgaria is provided through domestic production, according to data of state-owned gas company Bulgargaz for H1, 2014.
Bulgargaz informs that local supply amounted to only 64 million cubic meters in the first six months of the year, down by around 1/3 compares to the level in H1, 2013.
Import of Russian gas had a share of 88.2%. Although the share of gas imports from Russia shrank, the quantities of gas supplied increased by 3% to 1.228 billion cubic meters in H1, 2014.
The remaining share, a total of 100 million cubic meters, was supplied by WIEE Bulgaria, a subsidiary of Wintershall, and all of it was injected into the Chiren underground gas storage.
This share of gas supplies also counts as local production because it was bought by WIEE Bulgaria from the gas fields of Petroceltic Bulgaria (formerly Melrose).
They were obtained under a contract of Bulgargaz with WIEE Bulgaria aimed at securing the gas quantities necessary for the winter of 2013/2014 with a buyback option in Q1, 2014.
According to the report of Bulgargaz, the state-owned gas company has another contract with WIEE Bulgaria, which is said to have helped it financially, but no details about the second agreement are disclosed.
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