Ukraine's underground storage catches up with injections
Injections into Ukraine’s underground storage were exceeding 80m m³/d as PE went to press – good news for its western counterparts who depend on the reliable transit of Russian gas through Ukraine
By 17 October, state operator Ukrtransgaz had about 16.2bn cm stored and, taking into account the faster rate of injection, the plan to stockpile 17-18bn cm by the end of the month was looking feasible even though the heating season had already started. In theory Ukraine could therefore have enough gas to go through the withdrawal season without incident – last October Naftogaz started lifting the gas from store with just 16.5bn cm put away. But last winter was abnormally warm, which is an important factor. As the heating season has started, domestic demand is already at 90m cm/day, Naftogaz chairman Andriy Kobolev said on 15 October, so its ability to inject more gas is limited. It is recei
Also in this section
19 January 2026
Newfound optimism is emerging that a dormant exploration frontier could become a strategic energy play and—whisper it quietly—Europe’s next offshore opportunity
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
