Gazprom has booked the entire additional transit capacity offered via Ukraine for July at June’s volume, according to the monthly auction results on the Regional Booking Platform (RBP).
Gazprom on Monday booked additional transit capacity for July on the RBP, having requested 15 million cubic meters per day of the 15 million cubic meters per day offered, which was slightly less than the 14.2 million cubic meters per day booked at the respective auctions for February, March, and April. The volume was the same as the 15 million cubic meters per day booked for May and June, respectively.
Russia’s state-owned gas company has a long-term booking capacity of 40 billion cubic meters via Ukraine for 2021 at 109 million cubic meters per day, having booked an additional 15 million cubic meters per day at the auction for a total of 124 million cubic meters per day.
Gazprom in June has been pumping an average of 124 million cubic meters per day via Ukraine at the fully booked volume.
Europe at this time has sharply boosted its consumption of the blue fuel. Global supplies of LNG, as well as pipeline gas from Russia, are at their highest, though thus far this has not allowed for starting mass pumping into underground storage facilities in preparation of the upcoming winter.
Ukraine may return to the idea of attracting European and American companies to manage its gas transmission system (GTS), Advisor to the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Lana Zerkal has said, expressing this opinion on the air of ICTV TV channel.
“This may be the same idea that was in 2019 for a joint consortium involving European and American companies to use the Ukrainian pipeline,” the ministry’s press service said, citing her.
According to Zerkal, this step will contribute to the lifting of Gazprom’s export monopoly on gas sales, since European consumers will have access to the GTS, deciding which gas supply route is more profitable for them.
“This is a geopolitical problem and it must be resolved at the geopolitical level using mechanisms inherent in geopolitics. Nord Stream 2 has become a stumbling block for the whole of Europe and for transatlantic relations. This is not only a question of Ukraine. This gas pipe has become an issue and a subject of international negotiations at the highest level,” Zerkal said.
She recalled that with the help of Ukraine’s partners in the European Union, it was already possible to amend the EU Third Gas Directive, which provides for its application to Nord Stream 2.
“It is very important that it be applied in full, because it will make it possible to balance market relations if Nord Stream 2 is nevertheless completed, certified and launched,” she said.
According to her, the EU has tools that can secure Ukraine from the use of Nord Stream 2 in full, leaving the Ukrainian GTS without transit.
“But for this we need to work with the European Commission, as well as with other countries that are also not interested in the launch of Nord Stream 2,” Zerkal said.
Consignors – which can only be Gazprom – have not been interested by offers of additional capacities for gas transportation through Ukraine for June from Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU).
Gazprom has a long-term reservation of Ukrainian capacities in the volume of 40 billion cubic meters for 2021, which is equal to 109 million cubic meters per day. The company additionally booked 15 mcm at auction on May 17, giving a total of 124 mcm per day.
GTSOU offered an additional 63.7 mcm per day at the monthly auction on Tuesday; however, there were no bids for this. The outcome of the last major additional auction a month ago was the same.
The announcement of this auction – with the prospect of significant supply growth on the European market – and its outcome have a substantial influence on spot prices for gas on the European market. They reduce under pressure of the appearance of potential new supply and rebound following an unsuccessful auction. Meanwhile, Gazprom prefers not to comment on its plans regarding short-term reservation of Ukrainian capacities.
Gazprom is currently pumping 124 mcm per day on average through Ukraine, fully using the volume booked.
If Gazprom had accepted the offer to use additional transit capacities, it would have meant a return to transportation volumes through Ukraine of 2019, before the new transit contract and payment of $3 billion to Naftogaz in line with a Stockholm arbitration ruling.
Europe is currently dramatically increasing gas consumption. Global supplies of liquefied natural gas and pipeline gas from Russia are at their highest levels, but this so far impedes the start of mass replenishment of gas in underground storage facilities to prepare for next winter.
Gazprom is thus far keeping to a stable approach to the use of Ukrainian transit capacities.
“You see our bookings. Our bookings are visible. Thus far, we remain at the same level,” Gazprom deputy head Elena Burmistrova said during Investor Day when asked about the prospects of increasing transit.
“We’ve had a very difficult winter in Europe, in Russia, in Asia. So we are now looking at our balances and resources – and looking at how we are going to move forward following the end of Q1,” she said.
In April, Gazprom pumps an average of 124 million cubic meters per day through Ukraine, fully using booked volume.
Europe is experiencing a notable shortage of gas for pumping into underground gas storage facilities.
Last Friday, the Ukrainian GTS Operator unexpectedly announced an auction for additional gas pumping to Europe in May in volume of half of current supplies: 64 million cubic meters per day above the current pumping capacity of 124 million cubic meters. However, capacity was left unused following the auction.
Consignors – which can only be Gazprom – have not been interested by offers of additional capacities for gas transportation through Ukraine for May from Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU).
Gazprom has a long-term reservation of Ukrainian capacities in the volume of 40 billion cubic meters for 2021, which is equal to 109 million cubic meters per day. The company additionally booked 15 million cubic meters (mcm) at an auction on April 19, giving a total of 124 mcm per day.
GTSOU offered an additional 63.7 mcm per day at the monthly auction on Tuesday; however, there were no bids for this.
Gazprom is pumping 124 mcm per day on average through Ukraine in April, fully using the volume booked.
If Gazprom had accepted the offer to use additional transit capacities, it would have meant a return to transportation volumes through Ukraine of 2019, before the new transit contract and payment of $3 billion to Naftogaz in line with a Stockholm arbitration ruling.
Europe is currently dramatically increasing gas consumption. Global supplies of liquefied natural gas and pipeline gas from Russia are at their highest levels, but for now, this does not make it possible to start mass pumping of gas into underground storage facilities to prepare for next winter.
In January 2021, Gazprom transported 124.51 mcm per day on average through Ukraine, in February – 104 mcm, and in March – 119.5 mcm.
Gazprom has booked additional transit capacity via Ukraine for March at a similar volume to its additional booking for February, according to the monthly auction results on the Regional Booking Platform (RBP).
Russia’s state-owned gas company has a long-term booking capacity of 40 billion cubic meters via Ukraine for 2021 at 109 million cubic meters per day, having booked an additional 14.2 million cubic meters per day at the auction for a total of 123.2 million cubic meters per day.
Gazprom on Monday booked additional transit capacity for April on the RBP, having requested 14.2 million cubic meters per day of the 15 million cubic meters per day offered, which was exactly the same result as the auctions for March and February.
The state-owned gas company in March has been pumping an average of 114.7 million cubic meters per day via Ukraine at a minimum of 101.2 million cubic meters per day and at a maximum of 120.3 million cubic meters per day, which has nearly reached the booked maximum.
Gazprom pumped an average of 124.51 million cubic meters per day via Ukraine in January 2021, and 104 million cubic meters per day in February.
