Gazprom trying to hold onto the internal market

Gazprom is trying to hold its part of the market by means of liberalization of delivery terms under the competitive pressure of independent gas producers. Gazprom nullified all the fines for gas underrun, having removed the take-or-pay practice and made the conditions of daily and monthly gas offtake less strict. However, it is still more profitable for energy companies to work with independent producers who can reduce their prices in contrast to Gazprom bound up with tariffs.

The details of the new policy of Gazprom concerning its work with inner domestic consumers have recently become known. Since the beginning of the year Gazprom mezhregiongaz has reconsidered its arrangements with the clients, having fully removed all the fines for gas underrun, i.e. having rejected the take-or-pay practice which used to cause dissatisfaction of the clients. Gazprom mezhregiongaz specified, daily gas offtake can make up 80-100% of the limit and monthly gas deliveries can be corrected five days prior to the month of delivery. Besides, the order of the gas payments meets the requirements of the governmental regulation, stipulating that 35% of planned gas value must be paid by 18th of the month of delivery, 50% - by the last day of the month and the rest – by 25th of next month. All long-term agreements which expired at the end of 2012 have been signed again on new conditions and supplemental agreements to the long-term contracts have been signed to synchronize them with the new conditions, the company specifies.