MOSCOW, February 6. /TASS/. Reserves of gas in European underground gas storage (UGS) facilities have declined below 69%, with total withdrawal from European UGS facilities having approached 37.5 bln cubic meters since the beginning of the heating season. Meanwhile Gazprom supplies gas for Europe through Ukraine in the volume of 42.4 mln cubic meters per day via the Sudzha gas pumping station.
"Gazprom supplies Russian gas for transit through Ukrainian territory in the volume confirmed by the Ukrainian side via the Sudzha gas pumping station of 42.4 mln cubic meters as of February 6. The request for the Sokhranovka gas pumping station has been rejected," a Gazprom representative said. Earlier the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) confirmed the request for pumping of this volume of gas.
On the previous day, the pumping equaled 42.3 mln cubic meters.
The transit line through Ukraine remains the only route to supply Russian gas to western and central European countries. The pumping through Nord Stream has been fully suspended.
Gas withdrawal from European UGS facilities amounted to 319 mln cubic meters on February 4, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Meanwhile pumping totaled 75 mln cubic meters.
The heating season in Europe started on November 7, 2023, with EU countries having withdrawn 37.42 bln cubic meters of gas from UGS facilities since then. European UGS facilities are currently 68.92% full (13.72 percentage points higher than the average as of this date in the past five years), with 75.95 bln cubic meters of gas stored in them. LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system have notably decreased amid a rise in temperatures. Facilities for regasification of liquefied gas and its further pumping into Europe’s pipelines are loaded by 45% of their capacity now. The gas purchase price averaged $337 per 1,000 cubic meters in Europe in January, and it has been at around $323 in February.