Bosnia gas operator says Russian supplies halved

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Bosnia's main gas operator BH Gas said on Tuesday that deliveries of Russian gas to Bosnia had been halved because of the gas row between Russia and Ukraine.

"The situation with the gas is further getting complicated as imports were reduced by 50 percent at 1228 local time (10:20 a.m. British time)," the company said in a statement.

BH Gas General Manager Almir Becarevic said Bosnia has no gas reserves and urged consumers to hold back consumption.

"We warn all consumers to use the gas rationally and to switch to liquid fuels to secure enough gas supplies for those who have no alternative energy sources," he told Reuters.

The country uses around 350 million cubic metres of gas a year and imports all gas needs from Russia via Ukraine, Hungary and Serbia.

Industry accounts for around 50 percent of gas consumption and the remainder goes to households, Becarevic said, adding that the natural gas accounts for up to eight percent of the Balkan country's energy resources.

(Reporting by Maja Zuvela; editing by Gordana Filipovic and James Jukwey)