Uzbekistan pumps over 5.1 bcm of gas into underground storage ahead of winter

TASHKENT. Oct 7 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan has pumped over 5.1 billion cubic meters of gas into underground storage facilities in preparation for the autumn-winter period, up 1 bcm from last year, Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov told local media.

"So far more than 5.1 bcm of gas has been pumped into underground storage facilities, which is over a billion cubic meters more than last year. A lot has been done to build a sufficient fuel reserve to get us smoothly through the winter period," Mirzamakhmudov said.

He said the country's president had given instructions to prepare the systems, given past shortcomings and lessons learned. "We paid special attention to all aspects, from production, transportation and distribution to generation," Mirzamakhmudov said.

Uzbekistan can produce around 70 bcm of natural gas and 8 million tonnes of liquid hydrocarbons a year. However, production has dropped considerably in the past few years because of depleted deposits, process losses and a lack of an effective control system. According to official statistics, Uzbekistan produced 46.71 bcm of gas in 2023, down 9.6% from 2022. Oil production fell 2.3% to 770,100 tonnes.

Uzbekistan became a net importer of natural gas in 2023. Uzbekistan signed a two-year gas purchase agreement with Russia's Gazprom in June last year, with daily supplies amounting to 9 million cubic meters and annual supplies amounting to almost 2.8 bcm. Supplies under this agreement began on October 7, 2023. In February 2024, it was reported that the government of Uzbekistan intends to modernize the republic's trunk pipeline system in order to increase gas imports from Russia 3.5-fold, from 9 million to 32 mcm per day.