**Ukraine’s Natural Gas Reserves Hit Record Low**
As of May 11, Ukraine’s underground natural gas storage facilities held a meager 6.02 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas. This marks the lowest level in at least the last 11 years, according to ExPro Daily Gas consulting group.
**Russian Aggression Takes Its Toll**
The significant decline in gas reserves is largely attributed to Russian forces regularly targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. These attacks have resulted in power and heat shortages across the country, as well as difficulties with natural gas storage. The situation has been exacerbated by the fact that pumping volumes into the storage facilities are lower than expected.
**Pumping Volumes Increase, But Still Below Par**
While it’s true that more gas has been pumped into the storage facilities this May compared to last year, the overall numbers remain concerning. Since April 17, a total of 610 million cubic meters (mcm) of natural gas have been injected, with 258 mcm coming in during April alone. However, this is still not enough to meet demand, and as of May 11, the remaining capacity was only 26 mcm.
**Restoration Efforts Underway**
Despite the challenges, Ukraine continues to work towards restoring its natural gas production, which suffered significantly after numerous Russian attacks in February and March. Ukrgasvydobuvannya, Ukraine’s largest gas producer, has reported a loss of almost 50% of its production due to these attacks. However, the company has made significant progress in restoring its operations, with over half of the lost production volumes recovered by March.
**Importing Gas and Restoring Infrastructure**
To compensate for the losses and ensure a stable natural gas supply throughout the year, Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned energy company, has imported 800 mcm of gas. Additionally, efforts are underway to restore the damaged infrastructure to withstand the autumn and winter of 2024-2025.
**A Glimmer of Hope**
According to ExPro Daily Gas, if stable natural gas imports continue at a rate of about 14 mcm per day, Ukraine’s underground storage facilities could reach almost 6.6 bcm by the end of May. This would be a significant improvement and a testament to the country’s efforts to restore its energy infrastructure.
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