In the West suddenly appeared companies that want to manage the Ukrainian pipeline
Three Western companies, including American Chevron, allegedly want to manage the Ukrainian GTS. Such a possibility is provided for the recently adopted law Rada – and now, according to some reports, there really wish to share responsibility for the Ukrainian gas transportation to Europe. How this information is similar to the truth, to understand the newspaper VIEW.
Three foreign companies, including American Chevron, intend to apply for participation in the management of the Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS). This was stated by three sources familiar with the negotiations, according to ITAR-TASS.
«People often believe that at the click of a finger, we get the result. Refused on Russian gas, then we have from some other gas undertake. Does not take » Last week the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law that allows European and American companies to rent or take control / concession main gas pipelines and underground storage facilities in Ukraine. Naftogaz ready to give up to 49% in the joint venture to operational and technical management, the state reserves itself at least 51% of the shares.
According to one source, the application of the foreign companies will be filed soon, immediately after the entry into force of the law. Another source notes that “unofficially already agreed three companies sent their proposals.” According to him, the list of applicants to participate in the joint venture operator-present American company Chevron. This was confirmed by another source close to the “Naftogaz of Ukraine».
In Chevron stated that company policy does not allow speculation or comments on the issues of business and advised to “stay in touch” .
Meanwhile, the companies concerned is still “a lot of issues, both technical and financial.” “When will be answered, then it will be and the real movement in this direction. I think that the situation will become clearer in a month », – says the source of ITAR-TASS, close to the negotiations.
In Naftogaz also claim that in the near future going “to start formal negotiations with the operators of gas networks with respect to their participation in the management of the Ukrainian GTS».
commercial interest?
Neither American nor European companies from the economic point of view, the Ukrainian GTS is not needed. “Conditionally Ukrainian GTS could be interesting for companies that are engaged in gas production in Ukraine to be able to supply any volume of gas through the Ukrainian gas transportation system in the same EU without the factor of Russia», – says the newspaper VIEW member Supervisory Board of the Institute of Energy Strategies (Ukraine) Yuri Korolchuk.
From this perspective, the interest could show Chevron and Shell, because these two companies plan to produce gas in Ukraine. “Now, however, such a situation is questionable, because neither Chevron, Shell or another do not conduct any mining in Ukraine», – Korolchuk notes. Furthermore, prior to Chevron now in general there is a question about the freezing works at Olessky site for the development of shale gas. Previously, the company was going to invest in the exploration of this area of 1.3 billion hryvnia investments, and in the case of industrial development – for at least another 25 billion hryvnia. But actually work there has not begun.
Ukrainian gas transport system is designed to transport 140 billion cubic meters a year, in fact, Gazprom 82 billion cubic meters tranzitiruet (at the end of last year). “This volume of transit makes a profit to the owner of the Ukrainian GTS. The operator was able to get at least conditionally half the profits (than now) from the use of Ukrainian gas transportation system, it is necessary to pump through it at least 40 billion cubic meters of gas. But 40 billion cubic meters of gas Ukraine does not produce », – Korolchuk notes.
According to him, none of European and American companies today are not engaged in the Ukraine gas production in such quantities that are needed to load the Ukrainian GTS and cost-effective use.
Ukraine itself produces now only 20 billion cubic meters of its own gas per year, while production will only fall. “The level of production is now preserved only by boosting those wells that are already working», – said the expert.
Conditional Chevron could, for example, agree Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan to get gas for transit through the Ukrainian gas transport system in Europe. But in these Central Asian countries, with little free gas production. Therefore, for the best transportation still need to negotiate with Russia. “But to be honest, I have little faith in it in the light of a conflict between the United States, the EU and Russia, which can be solved over the years», – says Korolchuk.
«Economic expediency in the Ukrainian gas transportation system without Gazprom is not available. Because other gas supplier on the other end of the pipe is not. There are only Russian gas. From conditional Chevron gas take it to be transported through the Ukrainian gas transportation system? » – surprised expert.
If you use the Ukrainian gas transportation system exclusively for the domestic market , it will mean a stop of main facilities and underground storage.
«Unfortunately, we again witness the political games around the Ukrainian GTS. Because of economic reasons to take part in the tender for these companies do not have », – summarizes the expert.
Empty uplift or policy
In the absence of a clear commercial interest in the lease of the Ukrainian pipeline European and American companies, this information about the three western companies or information “zilch” pure populism, or the whole thing in global politics.
The source of this information might be, presumably so. “Eighteen months ago, when the parliament was first introduced this bill in the Adam Smith Conference Shell and Chevron were asked whether they would participate in the modernization of the Ukrainian GTS and renting. They actually went straight answer, do not even have to talk, discussed this issue », – tells Korolchuk.
In addition, he knows that the Ukrainian authorities appealed to European companies and the Embassy of the United States with a request to search for partners for rent GTS. “Perhaps, based on this, and it was reported that Chevron and others may participate in the lease of Ukraine’s GTS», – does not exclude the source of the newspaper VIEW.
It is possible that such an injection in the media, Prime Minister Yatsenyuk, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Yuriy Prodan, as well as the new head of Naftogaz Andrew Kobolev want to show the effectiveness of this idea of surrender GTS for rent, raise the importance of their pipes. “But it seems to me that this is largely dust in the eyes. And we get a very negative effect on it. Because inside the country will be an expectation that the issue can be resolved, that the Ukrainian gas transport system can exist on its own with the help of European or American counterparts, but in fact, in any case, everyone will be back to what you need to negotiate with Gazprom », – said Yuri Korolchuk.
This may well be a continuation of the line of destructive energy issues, as adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on Friday the law on sanctions against Russia, giving the right at any time to stop the transit of Russian gas to Europe .
Instead of taking a step forward to solve the gas crisis that burst in winter, Kiev makes just two steps back. “It is very strange that at a time when the European Commission is trying to return to the negotiating table Kiev with Russia on gas, immediately adopted the law is not only about the GTS, but the sanctions that have already made it clear that the conflict with Russia can not be solved, and deepens », – says Korolchuk. “As soon as any talk about sanctions from the Ukraine, which was tied to a transit stop, many Europeans, in particular the Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany, just received this information as a threat», – he said.
However, experts do not believe that this threat will be realized. “The closure of transit – is a breach of contract and immediately trial with Gazprom. And the court is unlikely to agree with the position of Ukraine, because it will be difficult to prove that a conditionally aggressor country, there’s a war, that is, force majeure », – said Korolchuk. In addition, from the Ukraine there is no formal declaration of war.
However, Ukraine may decide to take this step, when winter turns into a trap: gas for heating will be missed, it will have to select from the gas transit to Europe.
«Yes, Ukraine needs to reduce dependence on any one source of energy. But you need to engage in energy efficiency and their own prey. And this money, and it does not turn out right. But people often do not realize this, consider that at the click of a finger, we get the result. Refused on Russian gas, then we have from some other gas undertake. Does not take », – complains a member of the Supervisory Board of the Institute of Energy Strategy of Ukraine.
Loose Change
If you do have some companies from the EU and the United States who want to rent 49% of Ukraine’s GTS and take part in the tender, then they now come exclusively from the political objectives. Ukrainian pipe can become a bargaining chip in the energy war.
Thus, European companies may be interested in the management of the Ukrainian GTS only in order to ensure the uninterrupted transit of Russian gas through Ukraine. Without this guarantee from Kiev Europeans pipe is not needed.
The Americans, by contrast, can pursue the opposite objective. They can take the Ukrainian system of control only with a view to bring the threat of the Ukrainian authorities on the ceiling transit to implementation. Thus, the United States will fulfill its primary purpose – even harder to embroil Europe with Russia and, most importantly, strong impact on the Russian economy, and at the same time and on the European. USA retain their disintegrated unipolar world by removing just two major competitors in the geopolitical arena. And then they can make Europe more and more dependent on their more expensive energy, temporarily transplanted half of the EU’s coal generation.
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