Traicu also said all tests on natural gas export pipelines will be completed until the end of the year.
Romania is not currently able to export natural gas because of technical restrictions, as it has a single gas pipeline which connects it to Hungary and which currently allows only gas imports. Works on the pipeline connecting Romania to Hungary were finished in 2010. Two new pipelines running from Romania to Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova are under construction.
Romania has two large natural gas producers, namely, Romgaz Medias and OMV Petrom, which cover two thirds of the country’s gas consumption and the difference is imported from Russia through intermediaries.
OMV Petrom officials have repeatedly said they plan to export natural gas.
Building pipelines to export natural gas was one of the conditions discussed by Romania with the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission.