Bulgaria could suffer a gas shortage in 2010 unless it agrees new volumes from Gazprom and reworks its supply contract, Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov told the energy conference Security, Liberalisation and Climate held by Kapital weekly and Business and Ecology magazine.

In 2006, Bulgaria negotiated a little more than three billion cubic metres of gas annually for the time until Russia starts pumping into the South Stream pipeline.

Last year Bulgaria asked the Russian giant for an additional 500 million cu m to satisfy surging gas demand.

During Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov's visit to Moscow two weeks ago, state-run gas firm Bulgargaz persuaded Gazprom to start talks on a new contract, and executive director Dimitar Gogov said pen could be put to paper by the end of March.

After 2010 Bulgaria will quench its thirst for gas through the Nabucco and South Stream pipes.

According to its new energy strategy, the country should derive 34 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 and seven per cent from LNG terminals that are yet to be built.

January's gas crisis might repeat itself, but on a smaller scale, Dimitrov said.

A total of 250 million euro is needed to expand the Chiren gas deposit and tap as much gas as it is used.

After the expansion in 2010, the repository could offer 600 million to 870 million cu m of gas each day compared with 450 million to 570 million cu m at present.

In related news, the projects to be backed by the European Commission's recovery package will be named by the end of the week.

Bulgaria has proposed six schemes worth 900 million euro, but the EC has so far only cleared a 20 million euro pre-feasibility study of the new gas link with Greece.

A further 30 million euro is needed to link up with Romania.

Source: Dnevnik.bg