KIEV, March 10 - The price Ukraine pays for imported gas may exceed $300 per 1,000 cubic meters in the fourth quarter of 2011, Deputy Energy and Coal Industry Minister Volodymyr Makukha said.

"The price will rise to roughly $300 per 1,000 cubic meters at the end of the season," Makukha said in Kiev on Thursday during a telephone question-and-answer session.

The annual average price might also approach that figure, he said.