Gazprom again threatens to reduce volume of exchange trading

The gas exchange trade passes through the second major crisis for the year: Gazprom has threatened to restrict the sale or to transfer them to another exchange because of disagreements with the independent broker of gas accounting rules. The FAS has already acted strongly against the monopoly’s plans. According to the Kommersant’s information, the conflict lies in the fact that actions of private brokers came into conflict with the interests of the Gazprom’s distribution companies. Experts note that the conflict was a result of the emergence of real competition in the segment and unpreparedness of market infrastructure for this.

Gazprom will limit the sale of gas on the exchange SPIMEX until elimination of violations of one of the bidders, connected with the accounting of gas, deputy head of the company’s department Gennady Sukhov said on Friday. He noted that Gazprom explored the possibility of selling gas on the Moscow power exchange and the exchange "Saint Petersburg". The FAS sharply reacted to this. "We don’t approve the blurring of the trading liquidity (between the exchanges)," - the head of the revelandt Department of the FAS Dmitry Makhonin said to the Interfax. The organization of the trades took three years, he said, called the actions of some gas producers an attempt to "disorganize" the exchange’s work. Furthermore, Mr. Makhonin drew attention to the fact that Gazprom didn’t register off-exchange gas transaction, although must do so since the beginning of February, and the FAS considered initiation of administrative proceedings against the monopoly.