MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. European countries continue to actively use up their underground gas storage (UGS) reserves, maintaining record withdrawal rates in November, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Since the start of the heating season, Europe has already withdrawn more than 10.5 billion cubic meters from UGS.

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 42.4 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 42.4 mln cubic meters as of November 29. The request for the Sokhranovka gas pumping station has been rejected," a Gazprom representative told reporters. On the previous day, the pumping also equaled 42.4 mln cubic meters.

The volume of supplies remains the same, despite statements by Austrian OMV about the cessation of Russian gas flows.

Gas withdrawal from UGS facilities in EU countries amounted to 440 mln cubic meters on November 27, according to GIE. Meanwhile pumping equaled 16 mln cubic meters. European UGS facilities are currently 86.65% full (2.28 percentage points lower than the average as of this date in the past five years), with 96.2 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 2016 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started on November 29, 2024 (10 days earlier than in the previous autumn-winter season), with EU countries having withdrawn more than 10.5 bln cubic meters of gas from UGS facilities since then.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 $491 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 45% of their capacity now.