Russian Gazprom will apply a 10.25 percent discount on gas prices to six Turkish private companies retrospectively for the first three months of 2016, according to Turkish company officials on Friday.
Turkish company officials told Anadolu Agency that Gazprom and six Turkish companies agreed a deal for the application of the 10.25 percent discount for the first quarter of 2016 only and from April 1 onwards until the end of the year, will receive a smaller discount which was undisclosed.
"The rate will be less than 10.25 percent but receiving this discount in winter will be an advantage," the officials said.
Gazprom said in a statement on late Wednesday that Bosphorus Gaz, Enerco Enerji, Bati Hatti, Kibar Enerji, Avrasya Gaz, and Shell Enerji all agreed with Gazprom on the deal after "constructive” conversations.
Gazprom said that the volume of natural gas supplies will continue in accordance with the current contracts.
Elena Burmistrova, general director of Gazprom Export LLC, said, "We are pleased to have a deal with our Turkish trading partners. We expect to continue our cooperation in the Turkish natural gas market."
Earlier it was reported that Russia's Gazprom, which was in discussions with the six Turkish private companies on Jan. 29, unilaterally cancelled the 10.25 percent discount applied on natural gas supplies from Gazprom as of this Jan. 1.
At the end of February, Gazprom also reduced daily natural gas supplies to Turkey by around 50 percent from Feb. 10 along the western line.
Turkish Energy Ministry sources told Anadolu Agency that Gazprom invoiced the January gas exports to Turkish private companies at a 10.25 percent higher rate than the previously agreed discounted prices, effectively cancelling the discount.
Turkey, which is the second-biggest consumer of Russian gas after Germany, imports around 30 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia annually via two pipelines: the Blue Stream and the western line. The private sector in Turkey imports 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year, representing over 30 percent of Russia's gas exports to Turkey.
(Anadolu Agency)
