The Central Asian nation reported supply disruptions on Jan. 17, saying Turkmenistan suspended exports amid low temperatures. It was unclear whether exports to China, the main market for Turkmen gas, had also been affected.

Turkmenistan has not commented on the reasons for the abrupt disruption.

Uzbekistan, in turn, suspended electric power supplies to neighbouring Afghanistan from Jan.14 due to unusually cold weather which had boosted domestic demand. On Monday, the Uzbek energy ministry said power exports would resume on Jan. 25.

Turkmenistan pumped 4.8 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Uzbekistan on Jan. 21 and the latter expects daily shipments to rise to 16 mcm a day soon, Uzbtransgaz said.

(Reporting by Mukhammadsharif MamatkulovEditing by Jason Neely and Bernadette Baum)