Stocks of natural gas in Ukraine`s underground storage facilities grew by 3.9%, or 414 million cubic meters (mcm), from 10.559 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas on July 30 to 10.973 bcm of gas on August 6, according to Ukrtransgaz, operator of Ukraine`s gas transport system.
The amount of gas pumped daily into the underground facilities, as of August 6, was about 66.7 mcm.
The Gas Infrastructure Europe system, which records information about gas stocks of countries in the European Union, said Ukraine, up till August 7, had accumulated 11.072 bcm of gas.
By the start of the heating season, Ukraine plans to accumulate about 14.5 bcm of gas in its underground storage facilities and begin pumping gas from April 7.
According to estimates, in August-September 2016, up to 3.4 bcm of gas could be injected.
In the first half of June 2016, Ukraine imported about 0.5 mcm of gas per day from Slovakia and about 0.4 mcm from Hungary. On July 15, gas purchases from Slovakia and Hungary grew considerably. Further, Ukraine resumed gas imports from Poland.
State-owned Naftogaz of Ukraine plans to buy gas using its own funds and a US$300 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
