Russia's Gazprom boosts gas transit shipments via Ukraine in first half of Feb

Russia's gas giant Gazprom boosted natural gas transit shipments across Ukraine by 21.7% on February 1-17, to 221.3 million cubic meters (mcm).

From February 1, transit shipments via Ukraine were 181.9 mcm per day, which increased to 221.mcm per day as of February 17, Ukrtransgaz, the Ukrainian operator of the country's gas transport system (GTS), has said.

Read alsoStockholm Arbitration to hand down award on UA-RU gas transit contract dispute in late Feb – Naftogaz CEOTransit of natural gas through Ukraine's GTS in 2017 reached a record level since 2011 – up to 93 billion cubic meters, which is 13% more than in 2016, according to the press service of National Joint Stock Company (NJSC) Naftogaz of Ukraine.

In January 2018, gas transit shipments fell to 181 mcm from 250 mcm per day. This was connected with a decrease in gas consumption in the European Union, and also with the work of the OPAL bypass gas pipeline, which runs across Germany and is a continuation of the Nord Stream 1 pipe laid through the bottom of the Baltic Sea.