Deputy Energy Minister: There is enough gas to meet the population’s needs in winter

At the same time, he emphasized that the situation with Lukoil, when the Uzbek side was forced to purchase export gas from the company for the population, will not happen again.

“We understand that we used their gas and became a debtor. But we must also understand that this gas was aimed at the needs of the economy and the population. The overall effect of this was positive, because the economy used this gas and produced value-added products,” Khodjayev said.

“Such problems that we spent someone else’s resources in the winter and were in debt by the spring will not happen again,” he added.

According to the deputy minister, the reserves that are available in the country’s gas storage facilities are enough to meet the needs of the domestic market.

“The gas storages are full. I can’t say that they are completely filled, but the volumes reserved there will allow us to supply natural gas quite rhythmically,” Khodjayev assured.

Earlier, the head of Uztransgaz Ulugbek Sayidov said at an interview with Kun.uz that now the population of Uzbekistan will be supplied with natural gas not depending on available resources, but based on real needs. 

It should be recalled that in 2018, Uzbekistan owed Lukoil for gas supplies about $600 million. Then, Uzbekneftegaz agreed on a procedure for repaying the debt that was formed as a result of the purchase of gas produced by the Russian company in Uzbekistan for export.