BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/06/2010

Belarus Is 'Interested' in Lithuanian LNG Terminal

By Milda Seputyte and Agnes Lovasz

June 22 (Bloomberg) -- Belarus is "interested" in neighboring Lithuania's liquefied natural gas terminal project as it seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian gas.

Belarus wants to diversify its gas imports through alternative routes, the Lithuanian Energy Ministry said in a statement today from Vilnius, citing Belarus Energy Minister Aleksandr Ozerac.

OAO Gazprom , Russia's gas-export monopoly, cut supplies to Belarus by 30 percent today after a 15 percent reduction yesterday as talks about unpaid gas supply and transit failed. Lithuania plans to decide on capacity and the site for construction of the LNG terminal this year, the ministry said.

"Incidents such as the dispute in Belarus make us more convinced we should have an LNG terminal," Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius told reporters in London today. Lithuania isn't yet feeling the impact of a reduction in gas flows to Belarus from Russia, he said.

Belgium's Exmar NV and two U.S. companies, SAIC Inc. and Excelerate Energy LLC, are studying the feasibility of an LNG terminal in Lithuania, the Energy Ministry said in March

--Editor: James M. Gomez, Chris Kirkham.

To contact the reporters on this story: Milda Seputyte in Vilnius at mseputyte@bloomberg.net Agnes Lovasz in London at alovasz@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Willy Morris at wmorris@bloomberg.net

Source:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-22/belarus-is-interested-in-lithuanian-lng-terminal-update1-.html


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