RSS
Romania has imported natural gas from Russia cheaper than the domestic production
Romania has imported lately natural gas from Russia cheaper than the domestic production, although such imports cost 530 dollars per 1000 cubic metres over the past years - twice the price of its national resource - says Iulian Iancu, MP, chairman of the Chamber of Deputies Committee for Industry and Services.
"These last days, I was surprised to notice that we have imported five million cubic metres of gas per day, during a consumption peak, for a price lower than the domestic production one," Iancu told on Tuesday a press conference on cogeneration and heating efficiency.
Romania's daily consumption peaked at 62 million cubic metres of natural gas during the recent freezing period; on a normal winter day, consumption stands around 50 million cubic metres.
According to the last monthly report released by Romania's Regulatory Authority fo Eenergy (ANRE), the imported Russian gas price in September was 258 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres or 93 lei/MWh, only 15pct above the domestic production price. As compared to the beginning of 2015, the Russian gas was 30pct cheaper; prices went down from 361 dollars/1000 cubic metres or 114 lei/MWh in September 2014, to 375 dollars/1000 cubic metres or 136 lei/MWh in January 2015. Russian gas prices trail by six to nine months the oil prices, which dropped lately below 30 dollars per barrel, from 115 dollars per barrel at mid-2014.
The Romanian gas price was 79 lei per MWh on the competitive market in September, similar to the price on the entire year; domestic production last September covered 99.97 percent of the consumption.