site.btaGas Import from Greece, Use of Mazut Among Measures for Preventing Possible Gas Crisis

Gas Import from Greece, Use of  Mazut Among Measures for Preventing Possible Gas Crisis

Sofia, September 18 (BTA) - The caretaker Government should
establish and test measures for preventing a possible gas
crisis, Economy and Energy Minister Vassil Shtonov told
journalists Thursday.

Bulgaria imports over 90 per cent of the natural gas it needs
from Russia and the local extraction even at present has some
technical problems and can provide small quantities of gas,
Shtonov said. If the gas supplies from Russia stop, Bulgaria can
count only on the Chiren gas storage facility which, however,
is slow to fill up and to drain, he added. A maximum of 4
million cubic metres a day can be taken from the storage
facility and the more gas is taken out, the more this quantity
depletes, the Energy Minister explained.

Another option for acquiring gas is the connector with Greece.
"We are actively working with Greece so as to conclude the
necessary agreements," Shtonov said.

Bulgaria's thermal plants, which are the biggest consumer of
natural gas in the winter, should start using mazut in case of a
longer gas crisis, he went on to say. If these three steps are
taken (gas from Chiren, gas import from Greece and plants using
mazut), the worst case-scenario is yet another gas crisis which,
however, will affect only a small percentage of enterprises,
the Energy Minister forecast. "These steps should be taken and
tested, it should be checked how the power plants can work with
mazut so as to prevent hitches, otherwise it can become cold and
scary," Shtonov warned.

The Energy Minister said that Chiren currently stores around 430
million m3 of gas and this quantity will be increased to some
450 million m3. If 4 million m3 are drawn a day, this quantity
would suffice 120 to 130 days. In winter, however, gas
consumption reaches 10 to 11 million m3 a day, therefore the
focus should be on providing additional gas supply from Greece
and mazut for the power plants in case of a longer gas crisis,
Shtonov said.

"Greece, too, will have problems in case of a possible gas
crisis, therefore we are holding negotiations and reserving
capacities from the terminal on Greek territory and the
transmission pipeline," the minister explained. As for power
plants' mazut reserve, it should be enough for 7 to 8 days, but
there are additional quantities of mazut stored in other places,
such as Lukoil. In a time of crisis when mazut with high
sulphur content is used, a permission from the Environment and
Water Ministry will be needed, Shtonov said. All this is being
discussed at the Crisis Headquarters; if all these steps are not
taken, there really is a risk of a crisis, he added.