Russian gas giant Gazprom has booked about a third of offered additional gas transit capacity via the Yamal-Europe pipeline via Poland for November and has not booked any volumes via Ukraine, auction results showed on Monday.
Gazprom's data also showed its gas exports declined in the first half of October from the same period in September.
The auction results are closely watched as Europe has been eagerly awaiting for more gas supplies, especially from Russia, as it tackles skyrocketing natural gas prices, boosted by tight supplies and economic recovery.
According to the Regional Booking Platform, Gazprom has booked some 32 million cubic metres per day, or 35 percent of total additional capacity, offered by the Polish operator Gas System for transit via the Kondratki transit point for the Yamal-Europe pipeline for November.
Gazprom and Ukraine agreed a five-year deal on Russian gas transit to Europe at the end of 2019 after prolonged talks, complicated by political tensions between the two ex-Soviet republics.
The Russian company has the right to book extra transit capacity in addition to already agreed volumes. It has mostly refused to buy significant spare capacity via Ukraine this year.
Analysts have said that Gazprom has not booked larger volumes in a move to push for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is awaiting regulatory clearance from Germany to start gas exports.
Ukraine's pipeline operator said on Friday that Russia is sending less gas to Europe via Ukraine than specified in the current transit contract.
Both the Kremlin and Gazprom have repeatedly said Russia meets all the requests for gas supplies from European customers.
EXPORTS
Separately, Gazprom has presented its gas exports and production data from the start of the year.
According to Reuters calculations, based on this data, Gazprom's gas exports outside of ex-Soviet Union declined to 6.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) on Oct. 1-15 from 7.3 bcm in the month-earlier period.
On the whole, Gazprom said its gas exports from year-to-date increased 13.1 percent year on year to 152.2 bcm. Its gas output for the period had risen to 399.4 bcm, up 16.6 percent year on year.
