A leading German gas distribution company said Sunday that Russia's move Sunday to cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine would not endanger overall gas supplies to Germany, according to DPA. "We are well prepared. Even if there is a further escalation (in the dispute), there'll be no supply reductions to households or other small users," E.ON Ruhrgas said. The company noted that Germany only obtains about 30 per cent of its gas via the affected pipelines, with Norwegian, Dutch and German offshore gas fields in the North Sea also supplying the country. E.ON Ruhrgas also has large underground gas storage facilities. The statement said large-scale users were not currently affected either, although limited reductions in supply could not be ruled out. "If the supply reductions turn out to be major, last a long time and the winter is especially cold, our capacity to adapt will come up against its limits," said chief executive Burckhard Bergmann. Russian gas company Gazprom and the Ukrainian government are at loggerheads over gas prices.
