KYIV. Aug 17 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine has increased gas stocks in its underground storage facilities to over 14 billion cubic meters (bcm), Ukrainian energy and coal industry minister’s advisor Maksym Beliavsky has said.
“Today the stocks crossed the point of 14 bcm. Less than in one month we have pumped 1 bcm,” he wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
Beliavsky wrote that Ukraine had 13 bcm of gas stocks on July 29, 2017.
Ukraine in July 2017 expanded its gas stocks by 1.64 bcm, and since March 22, 2017 when the country started pumping gas into the underground storage facilities after the winter period, by 5.08 bcm. In July, daily pumping was 52.8 million cubic meters (mcm), while in June it was 49.9 mcm and in May – 51.9 mcm.
The action plan to prepare the energy complex to the autumn and winter period 2017-2018 approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine envisages that Ukraine by November 1, 2017 will accumulate 17 bcm of gas in underground storage facilities. Naftogaz Ukrainy estimates the volume to be pumped at 16 bcm, believing that these stocks are even superfluous.
Ukraine started the 2016/17 heating season with 144.7 bcm in stock.
