Refusal of Turkey of one of the Russian gas contracts first of all will strike on the transiting countries, will deprive them of their incomes of pumping. Such opinion was stated today ITAR-TASS by the Director of the National Energy Institute Sergey Pravosudov in connection with possible refusal of Turkey to prolong one of the continental contracts on delivery of approximately 6 billion cubic meters of gas annually, which the Russian monopoly signed with Turkish state company BOTASH 25 years ago.

«It is a question of Bulgaria and Romania through which territory the Russian gas is delivered to Turkey on so-called «western corridor», the expert noted. “Gazprom will hardly suffer, considers S. Pravosudov. “Turkey, certainly, will increase not transit deliveries of the Russian gas through Blue Stream gas pipeline, which is now loaded only on half; it is pumped over nearby 8 of 16 billion cubic meters through it».

By estimations of experts, this variant – through the sea gas pipeline — from the point of view of contract parameters (the gas price considers distance to the point of its delivery to the customer) is more attractive both to Turkey and for the owners of Blue Stream — Gazprom and Italian Eni.

According to the contract, Turkey should receive 365 billion cubic meters of the Russian gas through Blue Stream for 25 years, since 2006. For five years on September, 2010 — Turkey took only 51 billion cubic meters. And proceeding from average conditions of contract BOTASH should, choosing annually 14.6 billion cubic meters of gas, buy at least 73 billion cubic meters of the Russian gas during five-year period.

Thus, Sergey Pravosudov has noted, «Turkey is interested in increase of gas deliveries through Blue Stream for execution of contract obligations and absence of confidence of the guaranteed growth of demand for gas in the country does not allow state BOTASH to prolong expiring contract on «western corridor.» «As Turkey plans to liberalize considerably the gas market that will lead to growth of a price competition in the Turkish market», he added.

According to the expert, «buyers of the Russian gas shift emphasis in favor of the contracts, deliveries on which go directly passing the transit countries that should be a «lesson» for Ukraine, which does not see yet prospects for an alliance with Gazprom on modernization of the Ukrainian gas-transport system. Finally, it can lead to essential reduction of the Russian export through the Ukrainian territory, especially after South Stream gas pipeline input».

Pravosudov also reminded of the statement of the head of Gazprom Export Alexander Medvedev made on Monday, who underlined that Gazprom is assured of demand of «western corridor» by Turkish commercial and industrial consumers. «If the contract with the state company BOTASH is not prolonged, we are ready to deliver these volumes to our existing and new partners — to the private companies for further placing to the end users in the Turkish market», Medvedev told.