KIEV, May 22 ??“ Ukrgaz-Energo, a 50-50 natural gas distributor owned by gas trader RosUkrEnergo and Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the national oil and gas company, plans to double gas imports next year, a company official said Tuesday.

Ukrgaz-Energo plans to buy 64 billion cubic meters of gas in 2007, up from expected 32 billion cu m in 2006, Ihor Voronin, the chairman of the company, said at a London conference.