REUTERS
Ukraine has met the new year of 2017 with reserves of natural gas in its underground storage facilities in the amount of 11.993 billion cubic meters, RFE/RL reported citing the data by Ukraine’s gas transport system operator Ukrtransgaz.
Over more than two and a half months from the start of the heating season on October 13, gas reserves dropped by 2.739 billion cubic meters, or by 18.6%, reads the report.
Current reserves are 14.3% lower than in the same period last year, but 4.6% higher than those at the beginning of 2015.
Ukrainian Meteorological Center forecasts that the heating season in terms of temperature conditions will last between 160 and 180 days.
Read alsoGazprom continues to violate contractual obligations on gas transit - UkrtransgazNaftogaz of Ukraine believes that gas reserves piled up in Ukraine’s underground storage facilities are insufficient for the safe passage of the heating season and declares that the company has at its disposal a technical potential for additional imports in the event of a severe winter. According to company estimates, by the end of the heating season, there will have been 7 - 8 bcm left in storage, with an accepted level of 5 bcm.
Read alsoNaftogaz gets $500 mln loan secured with World Bank guaranteeNaftogaz of Ukraine on December 31 reported that it had signed a loan agreement with Citi and Deutsche Bank. The agreement provides for a revolving credit line for the purchase of gas worth $500 million, guaranteed by the World Bank.