Gazprom May Start Price Dispute With Turkey-Based Private Gas Importers - SPUTNIK NEWS

 © Sputnik/ Mikhail Voskresenskiy

13.01.2017, 11:22

Russia's state-owned gas exporter Gazprom plans to initiate a trade dispute via international arbitration with its private gas import partners in Turkey, local media said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The company's Gazprom Export subsidiary has already prepared documents needed to file the lawsuit in what is a dispute over prices for 2017, the Kommersant newspaper reported, citing sources from Gazprom and Turkey. 

The lawsuit, likely to be filed at the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, will involve private companies importing Russian gas to Turkey, including Akfel Gas, Enerco Enerji, Avrasya gaz, Bosphorus gaz, Shell, Bati Hatti and Kibar Enerji, according to the publication. 

The companies had rejected a Gazprom price offer, which involved settling for a temporary arrangement, above 2016 levels, lasting until the company settles its ongoing dispute with Turkey's state-owned BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation. 

Russia, Turkey resume gas price talks: Russian energy minister - REUTERS

A worker checks the valve gears in a natural gas control centre of
Turkey's Petroleum and Pipeline Corporation, 35 km (22 miles)
west of Ankara, January 5, 2009. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Sun Oct 9, 2016 | 10:38am EDTReporting by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky

Moscow and Ankara have resumed talks on the price of Russian gas for Ankara, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview with Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper.

A gas price dispute between Turkish pipeline operator Botas and Russia's state gas producer Gazprom led to Botas launching international arbitration proceedings against Gazprom in October 2015.

The row had led to talks on their joint Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline project to be suspended earlier that year.

In November 2015, most contact between Russia and Turkey were halted after the downing of a Russian fighter jet by Turkish military, although since then Moscow and Ankara have made significant progress towards restoring relations.