Ukraine accumulates 15.75 bcm of natural gas in underground storage facilities

Ukraine's JSC Naftogaz expects natural gas reserves in the country's underground storage facilities to exceed 16 billion cubic meters before the winter sets in.

Naftogaz CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov said this in an interview with LB.UA, Ukrinform reports.

"Today there are already 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas. And before the winter, we expect to cross the mark of 16 billion cubic meters," Chernyshov said.

He noted that this year the amount of natural gas produced by Ukraine increased by 7% compared to 2022.

In addition, non-residents are more actively pumping gas into Ukrainian storage facilities, with about 2 billion cubic meters of gas already accumulated by foreign companies.

"Storage service is our business, which we provide to international customers, European traders. And it's very good that it exists," Chernyshov said.

He noted that the company does not plan to use gas from non-residents during the heating season, expecting to get through the winter at the expense of its own resources.

"Ukrainian consumers will be supplied with gas, despite the fate of the transit. Our reserves are sufficient. If you ask whether this transit is somehow related to the replenishment of our reserves, then of course it is not," Chernyshov said, commenting on a possible early halt of Russian gas transit through the Ukrainian gas transmission system.

He also said that Naftogaz was working to protect its facilities from Russian attacks.

As reported, the Naftogaz Group increased its client portfolio of non-residents to 148 companies this year.