Reserves of natural gas in Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities (UGS) as of August 21 had reached 17.4 billion cubic meters (bcm), which is the highest figure on this date since 2012.
According to the press service of Ukrtransgaz, the high pace of the current year has already led to the fulfillment of planned volumes for injection at four underground storage facilities (Solokhovske, Krasnopartyzanske, Proletarske, Krasnopopivske).
Currently, gas injection continues at Bilche-Volytsko-Uherske, Uherske, Dashavske, Bohorodchanske, Oparske and Kehychivske underground gas storage facilities, where the average daily pumping is about 75 million cubic meters.
According to Ukrtransgaz, at the same time, more than 270 companies today use the services of the company to store gas in underground gas storage facilities both in a common mode and in a customs warehouse mode. Compared to last year, the number of such companies rose by 40%.
GAS, STOCKS, UGS, UKRTRANSGAZ
Ukraine from April 4 to August 17, 2019 doubled its natural gas reserves in underground gas storage facilities (UGS), to 17.169 billion cubic meters (bcm), according to recent data from JSC Ukrtransgaz.
According to the calculations of the Interfax-Ukraine agency, this volume exceeds the inventory indicator on August 17, 2018 by 24.5%, on August 17, 2017 by 22.2%.
The storage facilities of the country on August 1-17 were replenished by 1.318 billion cubic meters of gas, which is equal to the average daily injection of 77.5 million cubic meters, while in July the figure was 74.4 million cubic meters per day, in June some 71.9 million cubic meters/day, and in May some 62.9 million cubic meters/day.
Underground gas storage facilities in Ukraine, in particular, on August 17 of this year were replenished by 74.36 million cubic meters with imports standing at 66.91 million cubic meters and domestic production of 54.8 million cubic meters.
Earlier, CEO of Naftogaz Ukrainy Andriy Kobolev said that the company intends to pump additional volumes of gas into the Ukrainian underground storage facilities in the event that Russia’s Gazprom ceases gas transit through the country after 2019. Ukraine plans to enter the next heating season with the reserves of about 20 billion cubic meters.
Production of natural gas in Ukraine in January-July 2019 increased, according to recent data, by 1.8% (by 216.3 million cubic meters) compared to the same period in 2018, to 12.188 billion cubic meters, according to data from JSC Ukrtransgaz.
According to the calculations of the Interfax-Ukraine agency, gas production by Ukrgazvydobuvannia amounted to 8.868 billion cubic meters (0.3% more compared to January-July 2018), by PJSC Ukrnafta to 672.7 million cubic meters (10.2% more), and other companies to 2.648 billion cubic meters (5% up).
In July 2019, gas production amounted to 1.697 billion cubic meters (4.1% less compared to July 2018), in particular by extraction by Ukrgazvydobuvannia totaled 1.207 billion cubic meters (7.4% less), Ukrnafta some 97.1 million cubic meters (7.8% more), and other companies some 392.9 million cubic meters (up by 4.7%).
Oil transit via Ukraine to Europe grew 4.4% year-on-year in January-July 2019, to 53.191 billion tonnes, according to preliminary data from Ukrtransgaz.
According to calculations made by Interfax-Ukraine, transit of gas to Europe totaled 51.512 billion cubic meters (an increase of 4.6%), and transit to Moldova came to 1.679 billion cubic meters (down by 0.8%).
In July, gas transit decreased 4.1%, to 8.112 bcm. Transit to Europe fell by 4.3%, to 7.948 billion cubic meters and to Moldova rose by 8%, to 163.9 mcm.
In 2018, gas transit decreased by 7.1%, to 86.779 bcm. Transit to Europe fell 7.6% to 83.839 billion cubic meters; transit to Moldova rose 8.6% to 2.94 bcm.
Ukraine pumped 2.306 bcm into its underground gas storage facilities in July, the highest figure for any month in the last four years, according to preliminary data from Ukrtransgaz.
As of July 31, 2019, the country’s stocks totaled 15.85 bcm, which is 3 bcm more than a year before.
If maintained, this tempo will allow Ukraine to reach its goal of starting the next heating season with 20 bcm in underground storage.
Shebelynka gas processing plant in Kharkiv region in January-June 2019 increased processing of crude oil by 7.6% (17,400 tonnes), compared to the same period in 2018, to 246,900 tonnes.
The Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry told Interfax-Ukraine that in June 2019 processing at the plant amounted to 40,300 tonnes, which is 6.1% (2,600 tonnes) more than in the same month last year.
For the six months, the plant increased production of petrol by 37.3% (by 21,800 tonnes), to 80,300 tonnes, fuel oil by 5.4% (by 2,300 tonnes), to 45,200 tonnes, but reduced diesel fuel by 27.2% (by 3,700 tonnes), to 17,300 tonnes.
The loading of the plant’s capacity through the aforementioned period of 2019 was 49.4% against 45.9% in 2018.
Ukrgazvydobuvannia, 100% owned by Naftogaz Ukrainy, is Ukraine’s largest gas producer, which provides about 75% of the total gas output in the country.
Ukrgazvydobuvannia operates Shebelynka gas refinery, Yablunivske department to process gas, Bazylivschyna condensate stabilization unit, and 19 filling stations in Kharkiv region. The latter sells fuel and liquefied gas of its own production.
