MOSCOW, January 23 (RIA Novosti) - Gazprom is producing 85 million cubic meters of natural gas over its planned volume each day in order to meet the sharp rise in gas consumption in both Russia and Europe, a director of the Russian energy giant said Monday.
Sergei Kupriyanov said the company was currently running at full production capacity.
"We are now producing almost 85 million cubic meters more gas every 24 hours than previously planned. And this is being done while the temperature is plummeting below -56 degrees [Celsius] at production sites," he said.
The extra gas produced by the company is equivalent to more than 20% of the typical gas demand of Britain at this time of year.
Around 230 million cu m of extra gas is being pumped into Gazprom's underground storage system each day. With exceptionally low temperatures throughout Russia, Gazprom is supplying record volumes of gas both to Russian consumers and for export, the spokesman said.
"The current freeze presents a situation unique in the last decade. And thanks to Gazprom's efforts, we can live through it in warm flats with gas and electricity," he said.
However, Kupriyanov said any consumers who have the option of switching to coal or fuel oil should do so.
The freeze began early last week when air temperatures in European Russia plunged as low as minus 34°C (-29°F) after several days of relatively mild weather. Weather forecasts have the severe cold lasting until the end of the week.
