- Delivery of gas from America is possible only through Poland, Mykhailo Gonchar, the President of the Centre for Global Studies "Strategy XXI", said. - Because we don't have a terminal to receive LNG on the Black Sea coast. But the Poles built own terminal in Svinoujs′ce, and we can use it.
- What should we need for that?
- To build interconnector (gas pipeline) between Poland and Ukraine, Gennadiy Kobal, Director of "ExPro Consulting", adds. - The relevant project exists, but its implementation requires a lot of time and resources.
M. Gonchar: - The interconnector will increase Ukraine-Polish capacity of gas supply. Because the existing gas pipeline is designed for supply of Russian gas to Poland. But we will not receive exactly American LNG. We can order it in Svinoujs′ce, but will take gas from the Polish gas pipeline system. Another thing is whether it is worth buying it for us.
- What do you mean? What could be the price of American gas?
G. Kobal: - It will be market price, maybe a little higher than in Poland (on the cost of transit). Now imported gas is offered at 7 thousand hryvnas per 1 thousand cubic meters in Ukraine. In winter the price reached 9.5-10 thousand hryvnias. American gas will be sold on the price, which will not exceed the market one, no one will buy it for the higher price.
M. Gonchar: - If you extracted gas, then liquefied it, loaded on a tanker, transported, unloaded from a tanker at a terminal, then regasificated it and pumped to Ukraine - it makes its price higher. Of course, such gas will not be cheaper than we take now by reverse from Europe.
- Would it be profitable for Americans to sell their gas to Ukraine?
M. Gonchar: - It's profitable for them to sell gas where it will be bought. The fact that American gas is cheap on the local market does not mean that they can sell it cheaper on other markets. Now American gas is mostly supplied to the Asian markets: Japan, South Korea. Because the price is higher there than on European markets. But it would be not bad if American senators and Congressmen have offered us some kind of special program to stimulate supply of American gas to Ukraine, a discount on this gas.
But this does not mean that the infrastructure of gas supply from Poland is not needed. Once the growth of the economy happens, and it's worth thinking about what should be an alternate channel. Diversification of supplies is a necessary step, because Russia, trying to hold its market, can significantly reduce the prices on its gas.
- How much gas is produced in the United States?
G. Kobal: - Last year's extraction reached 767 billion cubic meters (bcm). The United States overcome Russia, which produces 573 bcm, in gas extraction long ago. America consumes 770 bcm of natural gas, but it imports cheap gas from Mexico and Canada, so it has an excess of blue fuel.
Lesya YASINCHUK
