European gas storage facilities fluctuating between injection and withdrawal as cold weather sets in

MOSCOW. Oct 6 (Interfax) - European gas storage facilities are fluctuating between net injection and net withdrawal as the seasonal temperature in the region declines relentlessly.

On Tuesday and Thursday last week, withdrawals exceeded injection for the first time this autumn, but other days of the week still saw net injection. More gas was stored at the weekend, when demand from industry fell, than on weekdays.

Following the first wave of autumn cold weather, which coincided with the start of the new gas year, the temperature curve in Europe is expected to steepen slightly, allowing for a gradual increase in stocks. Withdrawals last year began on October 29, and in 2023 they began on November 6.

Gas stocks in the region averaged at 82.74% as the result of the October 4 gas day, as of Sunday morning, according Gas Infrastructure Europe data. This is 7.6 percentage points below the five-year average.

During the last heating season, Europe was forced to draw down reserves from storage facilities actively, as the winter was the coldest in four years. Stocks had fallen below 34% by the end of the withdrawal season.

The EU is preparing for the coming winter amid intense competition in the LNG market, a dwindling renewable energy resource and deliberate restriction of access to Gazprom's gas.

This year, following significant winter withdrawals, Europe is importing lot of LNG, primarily used to build inventory in its own storage facilities, at a steady pace, almost the same as in winter. In 2025 as a whole, the region could import 107 million tonnes of LNG or 139 bcm after regasification, 25% more than in 2024.