Norway’s minister says government won’t interfere in gas pricing even if Gazprom cuts price

Vidar Helgesen said that Lithuania may expect gas prices to go down now that it has two gas suppliers.

“For a very long time, we have made it clear that (…) commercial decisions are taken by Statoil, its leadership, and, therefore, we don’t interfere with pricing mechanisms or decisions,” the minister told reporters in Klaipėda where he is attending a welcoming ceremony for the Independence, the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) built for Lithuania’s LNG terminal.

“The fact that Lithuania will now get more options will result in competition. Competition is likely to result in better prices,” he said.

The Norwegian government holds a 67-percent stake in Statoil.