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Gas withdrawal from UGS facilities in Europe record in November amid cold spell

Gas withdrawal from UGS facilities in EU countries amounted to 471 mln cubic meters on November 23, according to GIE

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. European countries continue spending reserves from their underground gas storage (UGS) facilities actively, having reached record withdrawal rates in November, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Withdrawal from their UGS facilities has been 1.4 times higher since the beginning of the heating season than last year. The gas price on the exchange in Europe is around $500 per 1,000 cubic meters. Meanwhile Gazprom supplies gas for Europe through Ukraine in the volume of 42 mcm per day to the Sudzha gas pumping station in Russia’s Kursk Region.

"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 mln cubic meters as of November 25. The request for the Sokhranovka gas pumping station has been rejected," a Gazprom representative told reporters. On the previous day, the pumping also equaled 42 mln cubic meters.

Gas withdrawal from UGS facilities in EU countries amounted to 471 mln cubic meters on November 23, according to GIE. Meanwhile pumping equaled 36 mln cubic meters. European UGS facilities are currently 87.89% full (2.2 percentage points lower than the average as of this date in the past five years), with 97.6 bln cubic meters of gas stored in them. Overall gas withdrawal from UGS facilities has reached the highest level for November, while pumping has fallen to 2012 lows.

The heating season in Europe started on November 29, 2024 (10 days earlier than in the previous autumn-winter season), with EU countries having withdrawn more than 9 bln cubic meters of gas from UGS facilities since then.

The gas purchase price averaged $456 per 1,000 cubic meters in Europe in October and it has been around $484 in November.

Total LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system in November have been at the lowest level for this month since 2021 so far. Facilities for regasification of liquefied gas and its further pumping into Europe’s pipelines are loaded by 37% of their capacity now.

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