MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. Gas pumping into European underground gas storage (UGS) facilities hit the lowest level since 2011 in September, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Total accumulated gas reserves in the EU had approached 94.4% by the end of last month, lagging behind the 2019 record. Meanwhile LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system went up in the reporting period month-on-month.

Withdrawal from European UGS facilities amounted to 1.77 bln cubic meters in September, an increase of 14% year-on-year. Gas pumping into UGS facilities totaled 4.23 bln cubic meters, which is 17% lower than in the previous year and the lowest level since 2011.

Gas reserves in Europe’s UGS facilities were up at 94.37% as of September 30, which is 4.27 percentage points higher than the average level in the past five years, though behind the record levels of 2019 when UGS facilities were almost 96.7% full. As of the end of last month, 104.6 bln cubic meters of gas were stored in them.

LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system increased in September as they equaled 7.81 bln cubic meters, up by 9% compared with August, and down by 15% compared with last year. This is the lowest level for this month since 2021.

Total year-to-date LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system equal around 81.72 bln cubic meters, which is 16.5% lower than in the same period last year.

The share of LNG has been the largest among sources of gas supply to Europe in 2024, standing at 33%, according to figures provided by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) as of September 28. Second come supplies from North Sea, mainly Norway’s gas (28%), followed by gas deliveries from North Africa (9.6%).

This is higher than supplies from the East, which includes Russian gas, gas supplies from Ukraine, as well as withdrawal by European companies of their gas from Ukraine’s UGS facilities (9.5%) and from the UK (4.2%).