SBU attempted to arrest 11 b cubic meters of gas in Naftogaz's underground storage depot, says source

The Security Service of Ukraine, known by its Ukrainian acronym SBU, has attempted to arrest 11 billion cubic meters of natural gas earlier pumped into NJSC Naftogax Ukrainy's underground storage facilities by Swiss-based gas trader RosUkrEnergo.

A corresponding resolution on a possible in future civil suit in a criminal case was signed on March 3, 2009, by the head of the department of the SBU investigative division, a government source told Interfax-Ukraine.

"[The SBU is authorized to] arrest and prevent any activity related to a change of ownership of the 11 billion cubic meters of the natural gas that was pumped for storage into the underground facilities of Ukrtransgaz, which is a subsidiary of Naftogaz Ukrainy on the basis of contracts between RosUkrEnergo and Naftogaz," the source said, quoting the document.