MOSCOW, December 30 (RIA Novosti) – Russian energy giant Gazprom increased the supply of natural gas to Europe this year by 16 percent to 161.5 billion cubic meters, the export arm of the Russian energy giant said in a statement Monday.
The average price for gas in Gazprom’s European contracts fell by 5.5 percent in 2013 to $380 per 1,000 cubic meters from $402 last year, Gazprom Export said.
Last year, Gazprom’s exports to Europe fell 7.5 percent year-on-year to 138.8 billion cubic meters. The Russian major gas producer also saw an 8 percent decline in total 2012 gas exports to 203.2 billion cubic meters.
Gazprom’s natural gas supplies to Europe increased in response to the cold weather at the beginning of 2013 and also due to a decline in gas supplies from Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Norway, Qatar and the UK.
European countries will need an additional 145 billion cubic meters of imported gas by 2025 and 185 billion cubic meters in 2035, Gazprom Export CEO Alexander Medvedev said in November.
Gazprom’s daily gas production by the end of the year is expected to reach up to 1.7 billion cubic meters, said Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee.