FAS publishes rules of nondiscriminatory access to gas pipelines

The Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service has published a draft decision, on which independent suppliers will be able to demand from Gazprom access not only to existing pipelines, but also to the planned ones. Rosneft will have grounds to claims for a quota in Power of Siberia and its extension for its supplies. FAS wants to secure a control over the nondiscriminatory access to the gas transportation system and to change the conditions for granting fuel discounts.

The document introduces a concept of "spare capacity", prescribes the terms of the contracts, filing of applications, grounds for refusal and the system of contractual arrangements in the field of "blue fuel" pumping, a FAS representative, Dmitry Makhonin explained to the Interfax. According to the draft, the decision of 1997 on provision of access for independent companies to the Gazprom’s gas transportation system will be invalid. The new rules apply not only to pipes of the monopoly, but all pipelines.