Ukraine finds new natural gas source

A high-ranking official said natural gas deliveries from Azerbaijan to Ukraine would begin in 2017. "We will deliver gas from Shah Deniz-2 (gas field) around the end of 2017, as stipulated under a memorandum signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2011 in Davos," said Azerbaijan ambassador to Ukraine Einulla Madatli. The Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported Saturday that Ukraine is looking for energy sources to replace or supplement Russia, a source with which there have been several supply-interrupting disputes in recent years. "We will start with 2 billion cubic meters (a year,), Madatli said. After that, deliveries would gradually increase to 5 billion cubic meters a year.