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Slovakia's SPP indications pilot offer for Azerbaijani gas

Slovakia's primary gas buyer SPP has signed a shortterm pilot contract to buy natural gas from Azerbaijan and will think about a longerterm deal as it prepares for a possible stop to Russian products via Ukraine, it stated on Wednesday.

An offer in between Moscow and Kyiv on Russian gas exports through Ukraine to Europe ends at the end of the year, forcing SPP and others in the European Union to search for alternative sources, including Azerbaijan.

Russia has stated it wants to continue to provide gas through Ukraine in spite of the war with its neighbour, while Kyiv has actually refused to take part in discussions with Moscow on gas exports.

SPP said it had actually diversified gas purchase contracts with BP , Exxon Mobil, Shell, Eni and RWE, and has up to 150% of its consumers' usage volume readily available as a cushion. It stated that could increase.

Due to the high danger of stopping gas products by means of the eastern pipeline, we are taking procedures to ensure safe gas materials to our clients, from big industrial customers to families, in any scenario, SPP CEO Vojtech Ferencz stated.

SPP stated Slovakia also had diversified transit routes for supplies in case of a blockage through the pipeline going through Ukraine. That includes a pipeline from Germany going through the Czech Republic.

It stated a southern transit path through the Turk Stream pipeline throughout the Black Sea would be necessary if Ukraine transit stops, and part of its Russian or Azerbaijani gas might travel by means of that pipeline.

It included it would take more measures for supply security if flows by means of Ukraine were stopped, however that these would be more costly.

If the business were to lose Russian deliveries and purchase the whole needed volume from another source and physically transit it to Slovakia, it would cost it a minimum of 140 million euros ($148.6 million) more, SPP stated.

(source: Reuters)