Austria's OMV: Gas Storage Topped Off

Austrian energy group OMV's natural gas storage is nearly full, providing a cushion should Russian gas supplies via Ukraine hit any snags, the head of its gas and power business told Reuters.

"OMV's storage capacity is around 97 percent full," Hans-Peter Floren said on the sidelines of an Austria-Russia Friendship Society meeting late on Thursday. Other companies' storage in Austria was more than 90 percent full, he said.

OMV AG Chief Executive Gerhard Roiss said on Aug. 12 its storage was 88 percent full. He had said on Aug. 4 its storage was 84 percent full and it aimed to top it up completely by the end of September.

Russia is Europe's biggest supplier of oil, coal and natural gas and its gas pipelines through Ukraine are the subject of political manoeuvring, given the backdrop of fighting in the country between government forces and pro-Moscow separatists.

The European Union is preparing to secure gas supplies this winter if Russia cuts exports over the Ukraine crisis, a draft document seen by Reuters showed.

Floren said he did not believe Russian gas deliveries to western Europe through Ukraine were at risk.

Russia's state-controlled gas giant Gazprom meets about a third of Europe's gas demand and it sends almost half of those supplies through Ukraine.

"Everyone agrees that you should keep gas out of the field of tensions," Floren told the meeting, adding that both sides saw that one should not trifle with gas and energy supplies.

Floren said Russian, Ukrainian and European Commission representatives were taking a commonsense approach at weekly meetings to ensure Russian gas kept flowing smoothly.

"My current information is that one has come together strongly after the big differences on price this summer. As far as the price goes, they are actually together," he said.

"At issue is the modality of how rebates will be granted from the Russian side."

Ukraine was pushing for rebates on the contractual price, rather than a one-off discount on taxes and fees, he said.

Reporting by Michael Shields and Angelika Gruber