Ukraine has accelerated the preparation of gas reserves and has already pumped 11.7 billion cubic metres of gas into underground storage facilities.
This was reported by the press service of the National Joint-Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine.
"Since the start of the 2023 pumping season, 2.5 billion cubic metres of gas have been directed to Ukrainian underground storage facilities. This level corresponds to the same period in 2022. Overall, the preparation of gas reserves for the upcoming winter is going according to plan," said Oleksiy Chernyshov, CEO of Naftogaz.
Moreover, in July, even more gas was pumped than expected, Chernyshov stated.
He added that this was a very good result, considering that gas consumption in the second quarter of 2023 increased by 13% compared to the same period in 2022.
The increase in gas consumption levels is driven by several factors, including the gradual recovery of our country's economy.
Background. The Cabinet of Ministers established a plan for accumulating gas in underground storage facilities for the next winter at 14 billion cubic metres of gas.
At the end of March, the reserves in UGS were estimated at 9 billion cubic metres. From March to June 2023, Ukraine increased its natural gas reserves by 1.5 billion cubic metres. Accordingly, from June to the end of July, about another billion cubic metres of gas arrived in the UGS.