BERLIN: Germany imported 8.9 percent more natural gas in January versus the same month last year, paying 13 percent more as oil-linked gas prices followed more expensive crude oil with a time lag, data from trade statistics office BAFA showed on Friday.
The import bill in the month came to 2.3 billion euros ($2.8 billion) against 2.0 billion a year earlier, the data showed.
Many continental European long-term gas supply contracts still track crude oil prices, though the importance of virtual gas trading points for spot supplies is increasing.
Germany mainly imports gas from Russia, Norway, the Netherlands, Britain and Denmark.
BAFA no longer provides a breakdown of supply from each country, but Russia is the top supplier by far.
