Cold Snap Lessens Gazprom's European Gas Supply

A severe cold snap has forced Gazprom to reduce supply to its European customers in order to ensure domestic supply, the Interfax news agency has reported.

The news agency reports that the company has placed sales caps on European gas supply due to unseasonably cold weather experienced in Russia which is increasing gas demand.

A Gazprom spokesperson was not available for comment when the news was released.

So far, Gazprom has under-supplied Italy by eight per cent, Interfax says. The unnamed source who spoke to the agency also said that exports through the Yamal-Europe pipeline, which supplies gas to Poland and Germany, was down by ten per cent.

Speaking to Platts, Italian pipeline operator Snam Rete Gas confirmed that the company had seen a reduction in gas supply. According to a spokesperson, the pipeline received 8 million cubic metres of gas less than the expected 105.8 million cubic metres of gas expected. The company compensated from its own storage supplies.

Severe weather conditions continue to affect Russia, with temperatures of up to -30 degrees Celsius forecast for Central Russia today. Temperatures in Moscow are expected to reach -19 degrees Celsius by tonight.