Plans for EU gas flows to Ukraine could be blocked by Russia
* Reverse flows technically possible
* Slovakia has biggest capacity to pump EU gas to Ukraine
* Gazprom has raised legal doubts over reverse flows
* Reverse flows in use in EU for over a decade
By Alexander Winning
LONDON, April 7 (Reuters) - Reverse flows of natural gas from Europe to Ukraine to help it handle Russian price increases and supply cuts would be possible within hours once the infrastructure is in place, but the flows could require approval from Russia's Gazprom first.
Ukraine is in emergency talks with the EU on importing gas from the West, pumping gas in the opposite direction to the original design of the pipelines, following a leap in the price Gazprom charges it for supplies.
SNIP
Slovakia is the EU's best-placed country to pump gas to Ukraine should Russia cut supplies, but reversing flows along any of the four pipelines that take Russian gas to Slovakia via Ukraine would breach the terms of its contracts with state-controlled Gazprom, a spokesman for Slovak pipeline operator Eustream said.
Eustream said it was working with Ukrainian pipeline operator Ukrtransgas to try to ensure that reverse flows could start by the winter, when demand for gas peaks. It has already built a compressor station to drive gas eastward.
Continued at Link:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/07/ukraine-crisis-gas-idUSL6N0MZ29U20140407
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