Gas Injection Rate Into EU Gas Storage Declining For 5th Day - Gas Infrastructure Operator

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st October, 2022) Gas injection rate at the European underground gas storage facilities (UGS) has been decreasing for the fifth day in a row, nosediving to a minimal figure of 0.15 percentage points a day amid cold weather, according to data from the Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) association.

European UGS are filled by 88,44% as of gas day on September 29, which ended at 04:00 GMT on September 30, the data showed.

The daily increase is estimated at 0.15 percentage points, according to the GIE. The EU's daily gas injection rate in September amounted to 0.28 percentage points.

Meanwhile, Latvia, whose gas storage is filled by 52.64%, has been tapping gas for the third consecutive day as well as Denmark, whose UGS are filled by 90%, but have 1.4 times lower capacity than the Latvian UGS, according to the data.

Earlier in September, the operator's data showed that Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden had filled their storage facilities beyond the 80% target. Only 18 out of 27 EU member states have UGS in their territory.

The heating season in Europe is due to start in mid-October, although last year it was pushed until November. At the same time, gas deliveries from Russia remain limited, given that Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were damaged in the Baltic Sea by means of explosions and rendered inoperative earlier this week. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office is investigating the incident as an act of international terrorism.

Ukraine keeps rejecting gas transit through the Sokhranivka entry point. Sudzha remains the only station pumping Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine.