Ukraine stopped withdrawing gas from underground storages (PSG) and started pumping it. About this informs Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE).
This year’s selection season lasted from November 1, when there were 87.037 TWh (8.315 billion cubic meters) in storage, and ended on April 16 at 7.062 TWh (0.675 billion cubic meters), which is the lowest level in the entire history of PSG’s operation.
Over the past two days, about 6.5 million cubic meters were pumped into storage facilities. m of gas. At the same time, the GIE data do not include approximately 4.6 billion cubic meters. m of active buffer gas, the use of which can endanger the operation of the system.
Ukraine ended the heating season with reserves of only 2.22% of the maximum capacity of PSG. For comparison: last year, the selection season ended on March 30 with reserves at the level of 11.12 TWh (3.388 billion cubic meters), or 11.12% of the total volume. Due to Russia’s massive attacks on gas infrastructure facilities, Ukraine was forced to resort to imports in February-March, the volume of which amounted to about 800 million cubic meters. m.
Before the start of the next heating season, PSG must accumulate at least 9 billion cubic meters. m of gas (not including the buffer volume), as this year’s experience proved that starting the season with smaller reserves is too risky.
We will remind that the board member and commercial director of the Naftogaz group, Dmytro Abramovych, said at the end of March that Ukraine should import 4.5-4.6 billion cubic meters by November 1. m of natural gas.
