Countries lagging behind the level of reserves in underground gas storage (UGS) facilities from the overall level in the European Union have intensified injecting gas into UGS facilities ahead of offtake season, with total net offtake starting from the latter third of October on average for the EU.
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Austria, Hungary, and Bulgaria are demonstrating a course toward reaching the target 80% fill level in UGS facilities, and it is already obvious that Latvia will not have time to achieve this level.
Meanwhile, the seasonal temperature continues to decline in Europe, thereby increasing gas consumption.
Gazprom's request for pumping Russian gas through Ukraine today has changed little from the previous days and months.
The Gas Transport System Operator of Ukraine, or GTSOU, has accepted a booking from Gazprom today to transport 42.4 million cubic meters of gas through the country against 42.4 mcm the previous gas day, data from GTSOU show.
Capacity was requested only through one of two entry points into Ukraine's Gas Transport System, the Sudzha metering station. A request was not accepted through the Sokhranivka metering station.
"Gazprom is supplying Russian gas for transit through the territory of Ukraine at the volume confirmed by the Ukraine side via the Sudzha metering station at 42.4 mcm on September 26, with booking via the Sokhranivka metering station declined," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told reporters.
GTSOU has declared a force majeure about accepting gas for transit through Sokhranivka, claiming that it cannot control the Novopskov compressor station. Ukraine has also said that if gas continued to be fed from Russia to the Sokhranivka station, amounts would be reduced accordingly at the exit points from Ukraine's gas transport system. The route through Sokhranivka had provided transit of more than 30 mcm of gas per day.
Gazprom believes there are no grounds for the force majeure or obstacles to continuing operations as before. ■