InterAgro Asks Romania’s Econ Ministry To Change Gas Law

Therefore, the group wants the law to allow it to buy natural gas only from local producers, at production price.

„In other countries, it is unthinkable to burn gas, except if used by chemical and petrochemical plants,” InterAgro’s representative Marin Mitrea told a news conference Thursday.

InterAgro estimates sales of EUR594 million in 2010, higher on year, he said, without giving any details.

The chemical and petrochemical companies within the group have gas supply problems, some of them ceasing their activity due to insufficient available gas, said Mirea, who is equally the head of the Nitrofosfor employers’ association.

On the other hand, several industrial consumers in the chemical sector are allowed to use only locally produced gas until October, due to the government’s decision to sustain this sector in the economic crisis period.

The gas consumers in Romania usually use both locally produced and imported natural gas.

The annual consumption of Romania’s chemical and petrochemical industry is of around 2.5 billion cubic meters, Mirea said. The national gas consumption stood at over 13 billion cubic meters in 2009.

The main gas producers in Romania are state-owned gas producer Romgaz Medias and the country’s largest oil company OMV Petrom (SNP.RO).