site.btaNatgas Supplies Secured Only for September - Deputy PM Alexiev

Natural gas supplies have been secured for September, but not from October onward, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policies Hristo Alexiev told a news briefing on Monday. Alexiev heads the Energy Crisis Taskforce (ECT), which met earlier in the day.

He noted that the ECT has been working for just three weeks, focusing on collecting necessary information. "There are many problems," he said, adding that the ECT is overseeing the completion of the Greece-Bulgaria natural gas interconnector and the financial stabilization of Bulgargaz.

Energy Minister Rossen Hristov said that negotiations are beginning with Azerbaijan for the supply of additional amounts of natural gas. "The negotiations will be very important, and I hope we will achieve success in the coming weeks," Hristov said. According to him, Turkish companies have shown interest in supplying pipeline-carried gas to Bulgaria. "I expect a confirmation later this week and then we will begin negotiating with these companies immediately," he said.

Hristov confirmed that only one shipload of liquefied natural gas from the US will be supplied to Bulgaria. It will be unloaded at an agreed slot in Turkey.

The Minister said: "There is a lot of gas out there at all sorts of prices. Every day we receive offers from various companies willing to supply gas to Bulgaria, but the price they offer would force enterprises to get closed and household consumers to stop using gas. What we are trying to secure is regular supplies for the best possible price."