KYIV, Ukraine, May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Ukraine imported over 120 million cubic meters of natural gas in April 2013 from Poland alone, reported the press service of the public gas transporting company Ukrtransgaz. This number exceeds the volumes of gas imported in March by 4.2 times (24.3 million cubic meters). Additionally, last month Ukraine imported over 18 million cubic meters of gas from Hungary.

Starting November 2012, until May 1, 2013, a total of 291 million cubic meters of gas flowed into Ukrainian gas transporting system through the territories of Poland and Hungary. Notably, on April 1, 2013, Ukraine launched reverse gas supplies from Hungary.

Earlier, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuriy Boyko said that the increase in reverse gas supplies from the European Union was one of the strategic challenges Ukrainian government was facing. The government was investing extra efforts into diversifying Ukraine's energy sources. Reportedly, such efforts may prove effective in gaining independence from expensive Russian gas.

In December 2012 Ukraine's Naftogaz paid UDS 407.5 per 1,000 of cubic meters of gas imported from Germany, while still paying USD 429.3 for Russian gas. In April 2013 the Eastern European country imported 800.8 million of cubic meters of Russian gas, however, Ukraine plans to further decrease the volumes.

Notably, Ukraine is also planning to arrange reverse gas supply of up to seven billion cubic meters from Germany through Hungary and Slovakia. Ukraine and the German company RWE signed the contract to supply approximately one million cubic meters of natural gas per day during November-December 2012.

Currently Ukrainian and Slovak parties are negotiating the Interconnection Agreement. Today Ukraine launched gas import from Slovakia in the test mode, as announced by Ukraine's Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Eduard Stavytskyi. Reverse supplies through Slovakia could provide 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. Slovakia is believed to be the main gas transporting corridor from the EU to Ukraine.

Ukrtransgaz has also signed a memorandum with the Romanian SNTGN Transgaz regarding daily supplies of up to five million cubic meters of gas from Romania. Ukrainian side plans to sign relevant agreements in the nearest future, reads interfax.com.ua.

SOURCE Worldwide News Ukraine