Gazprom Armenia halts supply of natural gas due to repair of pipeline section

YEREVAN, January 14. /ARKA/. Armenia's national Russian-owned gas distribution company Gazprom Armenia said gas deliveries of Russian natural gas to the country across Georgia will be halted for 24 hours starting from 7 am today.

The company said the halt is needed for emergency repair of a section of the pipeline near the border with Georgia.

Until then households and enterprises across Armenia will be receiving gas from the Abovyan underground natural gas storage facility.

'Taking into account the technical possibilities of using natural gas from the underground gas storage facility - maximum 6 million cubic meters per day - and in order to avoid accidents or other unforeseen situations, Gazprom Armenia will stop supplying natural gas to car gas-filling compressor stations from 23:00 on January 13 for a period from 24 to 36 hours,' the company said. It said gas supply to the Yerevan thermal power plant will be also suspended.

Gazprom Armenia asked all other subscribers, including households, to use natural gas as economically as possible during the specified period and apologized for the inconveniences.

The Russian natural gas is delivered to Armenia by Gazprom at a $165 per one thousand cubic meters, but Gazprom’s Armenian subsidiary - Gazprom Armenia - sells it to the bulk of Armenian households at almost $300. Gazprom Armenia also deals with the storage, distribution and sale of gas.

The Abovyan gas storage is one of the principal elements of Armenia’s gas transmission system ensuring the country’s energy security. It was constructed in 1962 on rock salt deposits at a depth of 800-1,000 meters. The gas storage regulates also the seasonal gas consumption by Armenia’s industrial sector and supplies gas to the country’s most important gas consumers. -0-