Poland Says Russian Deliveries Return to Requested Level
February 06, 2012, 2:19 AM ESTBy Marek Strzelecki and Maciej Martewicz
(Updates with usage, temperatures starting in third paragraph.)
Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Polskie Gornictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo SA, Poland’s dominant gas company, said deliveries from Russia returned to the requested level today after they were reduced yesterday.
“We’re getting as much gas as we’ve asked for,” spokeswoman Joanna Zakrzewska told Bloomberg News by phone. Deliveries from OAO Gazprom’s unit were cut by about 7 percent yesterday, the company said in a statement.
Poland imported 76 percent of the 14.4 billion cubic meters it consumed last year, most of it from Russia. The country’s daily gas consumption reached a record high of 70.3 million cubic meters yesterday as temperatures in Warsaw dropped to minus 23 degrees Celsius (minus 9.4 Fahrenheit), reaching the lowest level in two years.
The usage was 37 percent above the average consumption in January, the Economy Ministry said in an e-mailed statement yesterday, adding that the figure could exceed 72 million cubic meters by Feb. 6.
The ministry yesterday allowed the use of mandatory gas reserves after PGNiG said on Feb. 1 it reduced supplies to three industrial customers.
--Editors: David McQuaid, James M. Gomez
Maciej Martewicz in Warsaw at mmartewicz@bloomberg.net
To contact the reporters on this story: Marek Strzelecki in Warsaw at mstrzelecki1@bloomberg.net;
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James M. Gomez at jagomez@bloomberg.net
