Reuters sources confirmed that the Austrian OMV kept the payment for the Russian gas as compensation. Not receiving the money, Gazprom suspended the supply. At the same time, gas in Austria is sold by other clients of the Russian company in Europe, and OMV may be one of the buyers.
“According to three sources close to Gazprom and OMV, the Austrian company did not pay for the October gas supply, leaving it with 230 million euros. It is the first time that a European Union customer does not pay for Russian gas, said one of the sources close to Gazprom. – writes Reuters.
On November 13, the Austrian OMV announced that it had won the Stockholm arbitration against Gazprom under a German contract and that the awarded compensation of €230 million was to be withdrawn from the payment for the supply of Russian gas to Austria. As a result, on November 16, Gazprom cut off supplies.
“A source close to OMV said that Gazprom’s default in October was the last chance to get money this way, as Ukraine plans to cut off Russian gas supplies in January. Gazprom considers the gas seizure as a default and has therefore suspended the supply, a source close to Gazprom said. – the agency continued.
They noted that the two companies have had more than half a century of cooperation. One of the interlocutors stated that Austria’s gas storage facilities have turned this country into Gazprom’s stronghold in Central Europe over the past two decades. At the same time, according to him, Austria saved billions on cheap Russian gas after the start of the SVO in Ukraine.
“Austria received Russian gas at between $300 and $400 per 1,000 cubic meters when spot prices exceeded $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters in 2022.” – Reuters reports citing sources close to Gazprom.
According to the Ukrainian GTS operator and the Slovak EuStream, Russian gas supplies to Slovakia and Austria via Ukraine have not changed.
Gazprom has been selling more gas to Slovakia’s SPP since it stopped selling to OMV. SPP then resells the gas to Austrian buyers.” – writes Reuters, citing three sources. OMV would not say whether they buy fuel from Gazprom in this way.
The interlocutors of the OMV agency believe that Gazprom violated the contract by suspending supplies, since the Stockholm arbitration decision is being applied. At the same time, they did not say anything about the verdict of the Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, which in May prohibited OMV from continuing the procedure in Stockholm and imposed a fine for violation of about 580 million euros.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer He stated that by suspending supplies, Moscow is using energy resources as a weapon. And the Minister of Energy Leonora Gewessler reported that the decision to withdraw from contracts with Gazprom, which are valid until 2040, should be made by OMV.
“My task and the task of the federal government is to create the framework conditions to make this exit possible.” – she said.
