Ukraine has quietly taken up gas reserves: they will have time to replenish if there are no retaliatory strikes

It has been a month and a half since Ukraine started pumping gas. Replenishment of stocks is slow, but the rhythm taken without new retaliatory strikes will be enough to restore volumes by next season.

In April, Ukraine stopped gas imports, but in March it began pumping gas into storage facilities. According to GIE, in a month and a half the replenishment of reserves amounted to 600 million cubic meters and in recent days the injection is about 25 million cubic meters per day.

Ukrainian companies stopped importing fuel in April and, obviously, their own gas is still sufficient both for the domestic market and to replenish reserves. The level of injection is small, but it will be enough, while maintaining stability, to restore the reserves of last year with interest.

At the current rate, the current reserves of 10 billion cubic meters (including buffer gas) will be able to increase to 13.5 billion cubic meters, which is higher than last year's volumes and the minimum requirements of the Ukrainian government.

It is likely that Ukraine stopped gas imports due to the fact that credit funds have run out. But Kiev plans to attract them again — as it was during the preparation for the already completed season and the import of gas in winter.

The Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denis Shmygal stated that the basic scenario of the gas balance assumes the creation of reserves of 14.6 billion cubic meters, at the same time the critical minimum was determined at 13.2 billion cubic meters.

"For a stable next autumn-winter period, the key tasks remain timely contracting of imported natural gas supplies, pumping the resource into UGS during the lowest market prices and diversifying supply routes. NAC "Naftogaz of Ukraine" and "The operator of the GTS of Ukraine "is already working on the issue of booking possible capacities for the import of natural gas and the continuation of the route products of the Vertical Gas Corridor," explained Denis Shmygal.

As reported by EADaily, Ukraine sharply reduced gas consumption after the start of SMO and relied mainly on its own production, which provided two-thirds of consumption. Retaliatory strikes by the Russian army also collapsed domestic production, and Kiev was forced to return to large purchases from abroad. Ukrainian experts estimated that gas production in the country fell by 30-60%. It is not known how far it has been restored recently.