Banatski Dvor gas storage facility opened

Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee Alexei Miller today officially opened the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility in northern Serbia. He will also open the new control room in the Pancevo Oil Refinery. Banatski Dvor gas storage facility opened The underground gas storage in Banatski Dvor confirms Serbia was right to form a strategic partnership with Gazprom and has potential to become an important energy hub in South East Europe, Serbian President Boris Tadic said at the ceremony near the northern Serbian town. Stressing the importance of energy storage facilities, Tadic recalled the problems businesses and households in Serbia experienced several years ago when delivery of Russian gas was blocked. "We suffered damages because we did not have full gas storage capacities at the time. Now we do. We promised our citizens we would complete the job and we have, in cooperation between Srbijagas and Gazprom," Tadic said in Banatski Dvor. According to Tadic, the partnership with Gazprom will continue to be fruitful in the future. "I believe Srbijagas will manage to overcome the economic difficulties and in the coming period there will be new investments in development, not only in the field of oil and gas, but also in the production of electric energy," Tadic said. Tadic was at the facility together with Alexei Miller and Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic. Tadic said he and Miller will discuss future cooperation between Serbia and Gazprom and the realization of the South Stream project later in the day. The Serbian president said talks related to South Stream will take place over a period of time because decisions need to be made not only by the management of the Russian energy company but also by Russia's political leadership. Asked if the plan is still for one leg to go through the Serb Republic (RS), Tadic said that, whenever a gas pipeline through Serbia is built, one leg will go in the direction of Bosnia-Herzegovina. "Serbia will never leave the RS, and consequently Bosnia, without a gas supply. In times of crisis, Serbia has helped supply the population in the neighboring country," Tadic said. Banatski Dvor can hold 450 million cubic meters and will ensure an uninterrupted energy supply in Serbia by storing natural gas delivered from Russia. The cooperation of Gazprom and Srbijagas on the construction of the facility is based on an interstate agreement on cooperation in the oil and gas industry, signed in 2008, while the joint project deal dates back to October 2009. Gazprom has a 51 percent share in the joint company, to Srbijagas's 49 percent. L-R: Bajatovic, Miller, Tadic (Tanjug) "EUR 5 billion" Around EUR 5 billion will be invested in Serbia's energy sector if all the planned projects with Russia are completed, head of Srbijagas Dusan Bajatovic said on Monday. Opening the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility, Bajatovic explained that the projects referred to the South Stream gas pipeline, another underground storage facility and the construction of three to four gas-run power plants in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Pancevo and Nis. Miller's visit to Srbijagas is very important because all the strategic deals regarding energy will go through Gazprom, Bajatovic stated. According to him, the South Stream will definitely go through Serbia and the length of that stretch of the pipeline will be around 470 km. The final decision about the project should be made together with the other partners, he noted. The Serbian government, NIS and Srbijagas will sign a trilateral agreement in Pancevo, settling the debt Petrohemija has towards those two companies, he remarked. There will be talks with the Russian partners about investments into the Pancevo nitrogen plant, methanol-vinegar complex and possibly Petrohemija, said Bajatovic.

Banatski Dvor gas storage facility opened

The underground gas storage in Banatski Dvor confirms Serbia was right to form a strategic partnership with Gazprom and has potential to become an important energy hub in South East Europe, Serbian President Boris Tadić said at the ceremony near the northern Serbian town.

Stressing the importance of energy storage facilities, Tadić recalled the problems businesses and households in Serbia experienced several years ago when delivery of Russian gas was blocked.

"We suffered damages because we did not have full gas storage capacities at the time. Now we do. We promised our citizens we would complete the job and we have, in cooperation between Srbijagas and Gazprom," Tadić said in Banatski Dvor.

According to Tadić, the partnership with Gazprom will continue to be fruitful in the future.

"I believe Srbijagas will manage to overcome the economic difficulties and in the coming period there will be new investments in development, not only in the field of oil and gas, but also in the production of electric energy," Tadić said.

Tadić was at the facility together with Alexei Miller and Srbijagas CEO Dušan Bajatović.

Tadić said he and Miller will discuss future cooperation between Serbia and Gazprom and the realization of the South Stream project later in the day.

The Serbian president said talks related to South Stream will take place over a period of time because decisions need to be made not only by the management of the Russian energy company but also by Russia's political leadership.

Asked if the plan is still for one leg to go through the Serb Republic (RS), Tadić said that, whenever a gas pipeline through Serbia is built, one leg will go in the direction of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"Serbia will never leave the RS, and consequently Bosnia, without a gas supply. In times of crisis, Serbia has helped supply the population in the neighboring country," Tadić said.

Banatski Dvor can hold 450 million cubic meters and will ensure an uninterrupted energy supply in Serbia by storing natural gas delivered from Russia.

The cooperation of Gazprom and Srbijagas on the construction of the facility is based on an interstate agreement on cooperation in the oil and gas industry, signed in 2008, while the joint project deal dates back to October 2009.

Gazprom has a 51 percent share in the joint company, to Srbijagas's 49 percent.

"EUR 5 billion"

Around EUR 5 billion will be invested in Serbia's energy sector if all the planned projects with Russia are completed, head of Srbijagas Dušan Bajatović said on Monday.

Opening the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility, Bajatović explained that the projects referred to the South Stream gas pipeline, another underground storage facility and the construction of three to four gas-run power plants in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Pančevo and Niš.

Miller's visit to Srbijagas is very important because all the strategic deals regarding energy will go through Gazprom, Bajatović stated.

According to him, the South Stream will definitely go through Serbia and the length of that stretch of the pipeline will be around 470 km.

The final decision about the project should be made together with the other partners, he noted.

The Serbian government, NIS and Srbijagas will sign a trilateral agreement in Pančevo, settling the debt Petrohemija has towards those two companies, he remarked.

There will be talks with the Russian partners about investments into the Pančevo nitrogen plant, methanol-vinegar complex and possibly Petrohemija, said Bajatović.