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Withdrawal from European UGS facilities second-highest in November, pumping hits 2016 lows

Gas reserves in Europe’s UGS facilities were down at 85.47% as of November 30, which is 2.34 percentage points lower than the average level in the past five years

MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/. Gas withdrawal from European underground gas storage (UGS) facilities in November 2024 turned out the second-highest for this month and two times higher than last year, while withdrawal hit the lowest level since 2016, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Total accumulated gas reserves in the EU had decreased to 85.5% by the end of last month. Meanwhile LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system went up slightly in the reporting period month-on-month.

Withdrawal from European UGS facilities amounted to 11.6 bln cubic meters in November, an almost twofold increase year-on-year, which is the second-highest level for this month ever. Gas pumping into UGS facilities totaled 914 mln cubic meters, which is 25% lower than in the previous year and the lowest level since 2016.

Gas reserves in Europe’s UGS facilities were down at 85.47% as of November 30, which is 2.34 percentage points lower than the average level in the past five years. As of the end of last month, around 95 bln cubic meters of gas were stored in them. The heating season in Europe started on October 29, 2024, with EU countries having withdrawn around 12 bln cubic meters of gas from UGS facilities since then.

The weather in the first week of December in Europe is expected to be relatively warm. The share of wind generation in the EU’s electricity generation increased to 18% in November.

LNG supplies from terminals to the EU’s gas transport system increased slightly in November, reaching 9.4 bln cubic meters, up by 7% compared with October, and down by 22% compared with last November. Meanwhile this is the lowest level for this month since 2021.

Overall LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system have reached around 100.7 bln cubic meters since the beginning of 2024, which is 16% 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 32.14%, according to figures provided by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) as of November 27. Second come supplies from North Sea, mainly Norway’s gas (27%), followed by withdrawal of gas from underground gas storage (UGS) facilities (12.86%).

This is slightly above deliveries from the East, which include Russian gas, gas supplies from Ukraine, as well as withdrawal by European companies of their gas from Ukraine’s UGS facilities (10.82%). The share of gas deliveries from North Africa totals 9.7%, while that of supplies from the UK equals 3.85%.

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