All Russian Gas Supplies To Romania Cut

`Unfortunately this thing has happened,` Videanu told private television station Realitatea TV.

All Russian gas supplies to Romania were cut early on Wednesday due to the Moscow-Kiev price dispute, Economy Minister Adriean Videanu said.

"Unfortunately this thing has happened," Videanu told private television station Realitatea TV. "There are no deliveries through the Mediesu Aurit gas import station."

"But we are prepared ... we will overcome this winter with no problems."

Deliveries through the other import station, Isaccea 2, which had been ensuring around 75 percent of contracted levels, stopped on Tuesday.

The Economy Ministry, which will hold a meeting with power sector representatives later, had said underground storage and gas production by Romgaz and Petrom were being used to make up for the shortfall.

Romania, less reliant on Russian gas than other ex-communist counterparts, produces around 65 percent of its annual domestic consumption from local fields while it imports around a third from Russia.

Romania has around 2.2 billion cubic metres of natural gas stored in underground deposits. The country draws around 26 million cubic metres a day from them.

However, Ioan Rusu, head of the state-controlled gas pipeline operator Transgaz, said underground reserves were expected to be depleted within 60-80 days if used on a daily basis.