From the underground gas storage facilities (UGS) in Europe, 85% of the volume of gas pumped in the summer has already been taken. This was announced on Saturday, February 5, by Gazprom, citing data from Gas Infrastructure Europe.
Thus, as of February 3, the volume of active gas in European UGS facilities was 27%, or 13.4 billion cubic meters. m less than last year. At the same time, underground storage facilities in Germany and France are already 2/3 empty.
“From January 11, 2022, the level of reserves in European UGS facilities moved into the area of record lows over a long-term observation period. As of February 3, reserves of 2.7 billion cubic meters. m less than the minimum figure for this date, says in the company’s Telegram channel.
It is noted that the occupancy of Ukrainian UGS facilities is also at minimum levels. As of February 3, it dropped to 11.2 billion cubic meters. m.
On February 3, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that the Russian authorities deliberately did not fill European gas storage facilities, which led to a significant increase in fuel prices. He noted that gas has become more expensive than ever.
On January 31, Gazprom reported that less than 20% of the gas pumped in the summer remained in underground storage facilities in Europe, and the total level of UGS filling is about 39%.
At the same time, on January 30, it became known that January gas supplies from LNG terminals to Europe broke the record for this month for the entire time of observations since 2011. On January 28, the European gas transmission system received 405 million cubic meters. m of liquefied gas.
As European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said at press conferences January 13, Russia allegedly can artificially increase the demand for gas. According to her, the EC is considering all allegations of possible anti-competitive behavior of companies producing and supplying natural gas to Europe in order to check whether the current situation in the wholesale gas markets in the region can be attributed to the commercial behavior of market participants.
In turn, Wintershall Dea, the largest German oil and gas company, commenting on the causes of the gas crisis in Europe, recalled that Gazprom has been a reliable supplier of Russian gas for more than 30 years. One of the main factors that influenced the gas crisis in Europe was the growth in demand for liquefied natural gas in Asia, they noted.
At the end of December 2021, Viktor Khaikov, Chairman of the Commission for Innovative Development of the Public Council under the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, emphasized that Gazprom is fully fulfilling its obligations to supply gas to Europe under the concluded contracts.
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