SKRIN Market & Corporate News
August 22, 2008 Friday 10:50 AM GMT

Russian gas transit via Georgian territory to Armenia cut 30%

Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation has denied information that Russian
gas transit via the Georgian territory to Armenia was cut 30% due to
maintenance works on the trunk pipeline. PR Director of GORC Tamara
Shoshiashvili said Monday that "these data are at odds with reality"
and gas transit to Armenia "is being implemented on a regular
basis". According to her, maintenance works are only taking place on
the pipeline in the Kazbegsky region adjacent to Russia. "They began
back on July 8 and provide for the replacement of a 400 m section of
the pipeline damaged last spring due to a landslide" – Shoshiashvili
said. "As for the adjacent North-South trunk pipeline used to pump
Russian gas via Georgia to Armenia", this pipeline "continues to
operate on a regular basis. We can only see slight changes in the gas
pump mode which depend on an increase or reduction in the pipe’s
pressure. However, this is a common thing" – she stressed. Earlier
head of Russian-Armenian Aromrosgazprom Shushan Sardaryan said that
natural gas supplies from Russia to Armenia since August 7 were
slashed 30%, Finam Investment Company reported.