Moldovan government negotiates direct contracts with major gas producers; PM makes clarifications

The government is negotiating direct contracts with major gas producers, including for medium- and long-term periods. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has made statements to this effect during a parliament meeting, where he came to request the declaration of a state of emergency in the energy and hydrological sectors.

The prime minister said that Moldova was currently negotiating bilateral gas contracts, including with major producers. They might be concluded for medium- and long-term periods.

“We are also negotiating bilateral contracts, including medium- and long-term ones. It is possible that we will have direct contracts with major producers. If we secure these contracts, they will be concluded transparently,” Vasile Tofan said.

The prime minister stressed that, for 2026–2027, Moldova had already contracted 370 million cubic meters of gas out of an estimated requirement of 390 million cubic meters. All purchases were made transparently, under the supervision of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

At the same time, the PM emphasized the importance of direct strategic partnerships with major regional suppliers, confirming that the country has already secured gas volumes from Romania.

“We already have a contract with ROMGAZ and OMV Petrom for gas volumes to be extracted from the Neptun Deep offshore block. Romania currently produces 8–9 billion cubic meters of gas annually, and through the Neptun Deep project, it will double its capacity, becoming the largest producer in the European Union. We have already contracted volumes from this block, which is scheduled to become operational in the third quarter of 2027,” Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said. He  added that the purchase price would be linked to the market price, but will benefit from a negotiated discount.

In parliament, Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu said that Energocom was required to build both security and commercial gas stocks. According to him, approximately 6.3 million cubic meters still need to be purchased by October 1, in order to complete the storage obligation for the security stock, while Energocom must purchase an additional 72.7 million cubic meters for commercial stocks. More than 6 million cubic meters of this amount have already been procured.

Junghietu said that the stocks were being stored in underground facilities in Ukraine and Romania, and that the obligation to create the stocks must be fulfilled by November 1.