Ukraine has 15 bcm of gas in reserves -Ukrtransgaz
KYIV, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Ukraine has collected 15.0 billion
cubic metres (bcm) of gas in underground storage as of Sept. 14,
part of its plan to store 18-19 bcm for winter by mid-October,
gas transport monopoly Ukrtransgaz said on Monday.
Ukraine is pumping about 49 million cubic metres of gas into
reserves every day, it said in a statement.
Ukraine uses gas from underground storage to safeguard
supply in winter as well as to ensure there are no disruptions
to the transit of Russian across the country to Europe.
The European Union receives about 40 percent of its Russian
gas imports via Ukraine.
Kyiv has said it needs at least $1 billion to buy enough gas
for the winter season. Last week, the chief executive of
Russia’s Gazprom, Alexei Miller, said the EU might
provide Kyiv with $500 million for gas purchases of about 2
billion cubic metres (bcm).
Ukraine hopes to receive the remaining $500 million from the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and from the
International Finance Corporation.
According to analysts’ calculations, a $1 billion loan would
allow Ukraine to buy around 4 bcm of gas.
Ukrainian state energy firm Naftogaz said last week Ukraine
hopes to sign a new gas agreement with Gazprom later this month.
Moscow and Kyiv agreed last year on a “winter package” for
supplies, with a price discount of $100 per thousand cubic
metres and advance payments. That agreement expired on July 1
and has yet to be replaced.
Economic dealings between the two powers are complicated by
a conflict between Ukrainian government troops and separatists
in Ukraine’s industrialised east in which up to 8,000 have been
killed. Moscow denies Ukrainian and Western charges that its
troops are directly supporting the separatists.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, editing by Louise Heavens)
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