SPP: Gas Supplies Still Down 25 pct

Slovak natural gas importer SPP said it had seen an approximate 25 percent reduction in shipments of Russian gas via Ukraine compared with requested amounts on Friday.

"SPP today again reports a mild drop in the gas delivery of approximately 25 percent. Despite that SPP continues to guarantee stable supplies to all our customers," it said in a statement.

Lower supplies have also been reported by Poland, Romania and Austria in the past week, all at a time of a standoff between Russia and the West over the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

The share of Russian gas in Europe's overall imports will exceed 64 percent this year and will continue to rise, the chief executive officer of Gazprom said on Friday.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told an Austrian newspaper on Thursday Russia would not curb gas exports to Europe this winter to prevent countries from re-exporting supplies to Ukraine.

Reporting by Robert Muller