French stocks slip to 58% fullness; Spanish down to 69%
Fullness at France's storage sites fell 4.8 percentage points week on week to 58% in the seven-day period to 24 January (week 3), according to data released by storage operators, Storengy and TIGF (see table). These sites averaged 56.5% fullness over the same period last year.
Sediane Littoral and Serene Sud (the country's largest storage sites, with a total capacity of 51.4TWh), finished week 3 of 2010 half full.
Total volume held in store amounted to 81.37TWh, compared with 71.8TWh at the same time last year.
Withdrawals were up year on year from 5.77TWh to 6.75TWh. However, this still lagged behind the previous week, when a total of 8.54TWh were removed from storage.
In the 18-22 January period, PEG Nord Day-ahead's closing level hovered between €13.05/MWh and €13.750/MWh. In the two subsequent sessions, the spot contract surged to €14.80/MWh and €15.60/MWh, lifted by cold temperatures.
Stocks at Spain's six operational LNG terminals of Barcelona, Cartagena, Huelva, Bilbao, Sagunto and Reganosa fell 12% week on week to 1,227,990 cubic metres (m³) of LNG (8.41TWh) on 26 January 2010, compared with 1,395,190m³ (9.56TWh) a week ago, according to the latest information from the country's gas transmission system operator, Enagás (see table).
Ten LNG vessels berthed at the terminals in the period from 20-26 January, with a further 14 expected over the next week. The busiest port was Huelva, which received five vessels over the last week. None docked at Cartagena or Reganosa.
Total stocks at Spanish underground storage sites stood at 19.36TWh - 1.80 billion cubic metres (Gm³), or 69% fullness - on Tuesday, compared with 20.12TWh (1.87Gm³/72% fullness) last Tuesday.
Estimates by Enagás on Wednesday said there was enough gas in Spanish storage for 7.4 days of average consumption for the time of year, down from 9.2 days last Tuesday. DL/RS
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