Russia's Gazprom Does Not Rule Out Dividend Rise
Russian gas giant Gazprom may increase dividends on 2018 results, however it is more likely to raise them after 2020 once the current investment cycle is over, Alexander Ivannikov, the head of company's financial department said on Friday.Gazprom also sees its average gas price in Europe at $230 to$240 per 1,000 cubic metres in 2018, Gazprom Export's Andrei Zotov said on a conference call.Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin
Gazprom Says Q2 Net Profit Down 17%
Second-quarter net income of Russian gas giant Gazprom declined by 17 percent year-on-year to 244.9 billion roubles ($3.8 billion), the company said on Monday, as spendings grew. April-June sales increased by 5 percent to 1.33 trillion roubles. The company also said that average gas price for Europe and other countries fell by 18 percent to 12,798 roubles ($197.5)per 1,000 cubic metres in the first half of 2016. ($1 = 64.8045 roubles) (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Lidia Kelly)
Gazprom Sees 2016 Export to Europe at Around 165 bcm
Russia's Gazprom plans to export around 165 billion cubic metres of gas to Europe this year, the firm's deputy chief executive Alexander Medvedev told reporters on Thursday. He added that the average gas price for the year was seen at $167-$171 per 1,000 cubic metres. Medvedev also said he was against breaking down Gazprom's monopoly on gas exports to Europe via pipelines, because it would harm Russia's export revenues. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; writing by Katya Golubkova)
Gazprom Sees Gas Output at 480 bcm
Russia's top gas producer Gazprom expects its natural gas output to reach 480 billion cubic metres in 2016 after it fell to an all-time low of 418.5 bcm last year, Interfax cited a company presentation on Saturday. It also said Gazprom expected the average gas price for Europe to be at $199 per 1,000 cubic metres in 2016, but said that it could sink as low as $169 in the worst case scenario. Gazprom will hold meetings with investors in New York and London next week. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
Gazprom's Inaugural Spot Gas Tender Falls Flat
Russia's top natural gas producer Gazprom failed to sell any gas on day one of a four-day auction on Monday, two sources at the company said on Tuesday. The lacklustre start is disappointing for the energy behemoth which is testing a new way of selling gas, giving customers a chance to buy at tender in addition to taking out long-term contracts. On offer is 3.2 billion cubic metres of gas which will be supplied via Gazprom's Nord Stream undersea pipeline. Gazprom's exporting arm, Gazprom Export, declined to comment.
Russia, Ukraine Hope for Gas Deal this Week
Ukraine has started to pay off gas debts; Gazprom delayed switching Kiev to prepayment. Russia and Ukraine signalled on Tuesday they hope to resolve a dispute by the end of this week over billions of dollars in unpaid gas bills that threatens supplies to Europe and is stoking their political conflict. Russian state-owned exporter Gazprom gave Kiev some respite on Monday by allowing it six more days to pay its debts, averting the risk of an immediate cut in supplies under an advance payment system that had been due to come into force.
Ukraine To Pay Gas Arrears If It Gets Contract First
Ukraine is prepared to pay arrears to Russia for gas once it has a contract with Moscow and will take the country to court if it refuses to sign, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk was quoted as saying by a German newspaper on Saturday. Ukraine told Russia on Friday a $786 million partial payment on a bill that Russia says could exceed $5 billion by next week was on its way to Moscow. That averted an immediate threat that Russia would stop supplying the former Soviet republic with gas if it fails to make advance payments.
Further Progress In Ukraine-Russia Gas Row - EU
Europe's Energy Commissioner said on Monday Ukraine and Russia had made further progress in a dispute over gas prices and his proposal that Ukraine to pay $2 billion of back debt by Thursday could pave the way for further talks on Friday. Speaking after three-way talks with Russia's and Ukraine's energy ministers, Guenther Oettinger said the two governments would study his proposal that Ukraine pay Russia $2 billion by Thursday and a further $500 million by June 7.
Progress Made in Russia-Ukraine Gas Dispute
Europe's Energy Commissioner said on Monday progress had been made in the gas price dispute between Russia and Ukraine after talks with Russia's energy minister and Gazprom and said a fresh round of negotiations was scheduled for May 26. Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged EU leaders to do more to help Ukraine through its economic crisis and resolve the standoff over gas. He has threatened to cut exports if Kiev fails to pay in advance for June deliveries.
Gazprom Offers to Cut Prices for Lithuania
Top Russian gas producer Gazprom has offered to cut gas prices to Lithuanian utility Lietuvos Dujos by some 20 percent if it agrees to scrap an arbitration claim, Lithuanian media reported on Tuesday. The Russian giant is offering to drop its current oil-linked pricing for Lietuvos Dujos in favour of the German Eastern border price, or German average gas price (BAFA), business daily Verslo Zinios reported on Tuesday. In exchange, Gazprom wants Lietuvos Dujos to drop its arbitration claim against the Russian company for overcharging it for gas.
