Gas transit via Ukraine drops 11.3% in first half of 2013

Natural gas transit to Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) via Ukrainian pipelines fell 11.3 percent year-on-year to 39.353 billion cubic meters in the first half of this year, according to official data released Thursday. From January to June, Ukraine delivered 38.227 billion cubic meters of gas to European countries, down 10.5 percent year-on- year, the state-run Ukrtransgaz Company said in a statement. Meanwhile, gas transit to the CIS plunged 31.8 percent year-on- year to 1.126 billion cubic meters, it added. The Ukrainian gas transportation system, which boasts an annual transit capacity of 175 billion cubic meters, pumped last year 84. 261 billion cubic meters of gas to consumers in the CIS and the eastern and southern Europe.