NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy will be able to buy out next year the entire resource offered by private gas production companies if the ban on its export is extended, head of the Naftogaz Group Oleksiy Chernyshov has said.

"The company is ready to purchase the entire volume of gas that the private sector will offer. We will be ready to buy it, because the support of companies and their liquidity is important to us, so that Ukrainian production does not decrease in any way. I am confident that we will cope with this, as managed this year, purchasing 700-800 million cubic meters of gas," Chernyshov said in a commentary to Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of the forum Success Formula for Ukraine: Big Day with NV on November 11.

At the same time, he noted that we are talking about the volume of gas that "private companies will not sell to the economy."

"Perhaps they will sell the entire volume, and our participation will not be required, but now we understand that the economy will not be able to consume this entire volume yet. Although I hope that consumption will still grow, because it is already growing," the head of the group added.

Chernyshov also emphasized that Naftogaz is in constant dialogue with the entire industry involved in natural gas production in Ukraine, and is interested in ensuring that the motivation of private companies to increase production grows.

"In this regard, with a potential ban on extending exports, private companies should receive an answer on how to economically continue to operate," the head of the company noted.

Answering the question how realistic, in his opinion, is the prospect of maintaining the ban on gas exports next year, Chernyshov noted: "During the war, these are such unpopular steps to ensure the stability of energy supply. For now, we cannot allow this to stop. But UEEX has finally started working on complete, and private traders should be able to sell this product."