REUTERS
Underground storage facilities were filled by 48% as of December 15.
Natural gas stocks in Ukraine's underground storage facilities (USFs) have shrunk by 12%, or by 2.1 billion cubic meters (bcm), to 15.1 bcm since November 7, when Ukraine started pumping out gas from its reserves.
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As of December 15, 2018, gas reserves in the country's USFs were estimated at 15.097 bcm, which was 2.2% down from 15.44 bcm reported on December 15, 2017, the state-run gas transport system operator Ukrtransgaz said.
In particular, 66.7 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas was withdrawn from the storage facilities on December 15 alone.
The country's USFs were filled by 48% as of December 15.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on November 7, 2018, Ukraine stopped injecting gas into the underground storage facilities and began pumping it out to ensure the smooth heating season.
By the start of the 2018-2019 heating season, Ukraine had accumulated 17.2 bcm of gas in its underground storage facilities, which was a record high natural gas stock over the past six years.
UNIAN memo. Ukrtransgaz operates 12 underground gas storages (USFs) with a total storage capacity of about 31 bcm. The USFs are an integral part of Ukraine's gas supply system and gas transit through its territory. The company is also the operator of trunk gas pipelines carrying gas from Russia to the EU. Ukrtransgaz is wholly owned by NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine.