Ukrainian gas storage injections drop week on week

Despite stable natural gas supply from the EU, Ukraine’s storage injections dropped over the past week, with the amount of gas in store still far below the level the government is aiming for by the start of the heating season.

Ukraine’s storage sites held almost 14 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas on 24 September, according to latest data from Ukrainian grid operator Ukrtransgaz. This is around 1.5bcm less than the same day last year and 3bcm below the level the government wants held in store by 1 November.

Storage injection fell by almost 11% compared to the previous week, averaging at 57 million cubic metre (mcm)/day between 18-24 September.

Imports

Ukraine is currently using almost all available import capacity on its borders with Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, Ukrtransgaz data shows. No Russian gas has been supplied to Ukraine since last November.

Imports from Slovakia have averaged at 40mcm/day since mid-September, data from Slovak grid operator Eustream showed. This is the maximum volume that can be delivered via the Budince border point.

Flows from Poland have been stable at 4mcm/day since 12 September, according to Polish operator GAZ-SYSTEM.

Average flows from Hungary rose by 1mcm week on week to 7mcm/day between 18-24 September, according to Hungarian network operator FGSZ.

Meanwhile, Russian transit flows to the EU via Ukraine rose by 6% week on week to 219mcm/day between 18-24 September, Ukrtransgaz data showed.

Independent energy regulator

The parliament of Ukraine approved late last week a law to set up an independent energy regulator. The EU welcomed the adoption of the bill that was delayed on numerous occasions over the past year. The law is part of ongoing energy market reform that aims to bring Ukraine’s gas sector in line with EU norms. ekaterina.kravtsova@icis.com