ARMENIA GAS SUPPLY IN JEOPARDY OVER PIPELINE BREAK IN GEORIA: GAZPROM

Agence France Presse — English
December 19, 2006 Tuesday 5:54 PM GMT

Armenia could face a gas shortage this winter if a burst pipeline
in neighboring Georgia is not repaired quickly, Russian gas monopoly
Gazprom warned Tuesday.

"Armenia has not received Russian gas in the necessary volumes for
the past two days due to a burst gas pipeline on Georgian territory,"
Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said in a statement.

The break in the pipeline occurred on Sunday for reasons still not
known to Gazprom and "it is obvious that if repair work drags out for
an extended period Armenia could be without gas in its underground
storage tanks this winter."

"This is a very troublesome situation," Kupriyanov warned.

"We and our Armenian colleagues are counting on everything possible
being done quickly to restore Russian gas shipments to Armenia through
Georgian territory," the statement said.

Armenia was currently receiving one-third of its gas through an
alternative pipeline while drawing on its underground reserves to
meet the remainder of its needs, it added.