Gazprom's gas exports declined 13.4% in 2009, year-on-year, to 205.8 billion cu m amid reduced natural gas demand, the Russian energy giant said on Monday.
Gas exports to European consumers declined 11.6% in 2009 from the previous year to 140.4 billion cu m, with exports falling 11% to 104.1 billion cu m to Western Europe and 13.7% to 36.1 billion cu m to Central Europe, Gazprom said in a statement.
Gas exports to former Soviet republics, including the Baltic states, declined 17% in the reporting period to 65.6 billion cu m, the statement said.
At the same time, Gazprom boosted gas exports 12% in the fourth quarter of 2009 from the same period of 2008 to 62.6 billion cu m, with gas supplies to key European consumers increasing 64% to Germany and 19% to France.
Gazprom earlier said it expected to supply 160.8 billion cu m of natural gas to Europe in 2010, 163.5 billion cu m in 2011 and 170.9 billion cu m in 2012.
The company's three-year plan of gas exports is based on the conservative scenario of gas demand recovery in Europe and takes into account the implications of the global financial and economic crisis.
Gazprom expects average natural gas prices in Europe to increase 10% in 2010 to $326 per 1,000 cu m compared with $296 in 2009.
MOSCOW, February 15 (RIA Novosti)
