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EU’s heating season ends, pumping into UGS starts, gas supply via Ukraine at 41.3 mcm

The transit line through Ukraine remains the only route to supply Russian gas to western and central European countries

MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Europe’s heating season officially ended at the beginning of April, with active pumping of gas into underground gas storage (UGS) facilities having started. The autumn-winter period ended one week earlier this year than in the previous year, while gas reserves in UGS facilities reached record 58%. Gazprom supplies gas for Europe through Ukraine in the volume of 41.3 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 41.3 mln cubic meters as of April 8. 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 also equaled 41.3 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 21 mln cubic meters on April 6, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Meanwhile pumping totaled 286 mln cubic meters.

The heating season in Europe started on November 7, 2023, and ended on March 31, 2024. It lasted 145 days, with EU countries having withdrawn 51.6 bln cubic meters of gas from UGS facilities. The period ended with record reserves of 58.34%. European UGS facilities are currently 59.9% full (17.47 percentage points higher than the average as of this date in the past five years), with 65.4 bln cubic meters of gas stored in them. Total LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system decreased slightly in April. Facilities for regasification of liquefied gas and its further pumping into Europe’s pipelines are loaded by 51% of their capacity now. The gas purchase price averaged $302 per 1,000 cubic meters in Europe in March, and it has been at around $295 in April.

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