Uralsevergaz JSC, local natural gas supplier, decided to go down to the previously scheduled amount of gas supplies in Sverdlovsk Region starting January 24, 2006. The company had been supplying the agreed amount and the extra 7 million to 13 million cubic meters a day throughout the bitterly cold January 14 to January 24.

Yet, as Uraltransgas Ltd. reports, the unusually low temperatures observed in virtually all of Russia resulted in an acute shortage of natural gas within the Russian Federation United Gas Supply System, which now makes it necessary to do something to prevent a general crisis that could affect the population. That is why Uralsevergaz JSC had to start supplying only the previously agreed amount of gas at 12 o’clock on January 24, 2006. The idea is to encourage the industrial enterprises to partially use coal and black oil instead of natural gas as any further overloading of pipelines may lead to a breakdown due to low gas pressure.

The company says they have enough gas in stock and that the current steps are only emergency measures aimed at preventing the general collapse of Russian Federation United Gas Supply System and making sure people can get natural gas not only in Sverdlovsk Region but everywhere in Russia.