MOSCOW. April 5 (Interfax) - Gazprom started injecting gas into Russia-based underground storage facilities on April 2 in a sign that the winter season has come to an end, the Central Dispatching Department of the Fuel and Energy Complex (CDU TEK).

Meanwhile Europe is still actively withdrawing gas as the temperature there remains below the norm.

Total withdrawals from storage facilities in Europe were 300 million cu m on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Europe withdrew 200 million cu m, including 53 mcm that Gazprom took from its own stocks in Europe, which corresponds to maximum withdrawals over the winter period.

Italy, Poland and Belgium are now injecting gas with a degree of confidence, while Britain makes the odd attempt to replenish its highly depleted underground stocks.

Last year, when spring came very early, Gazprom started to pump gas into storage facilities in Europe at the start of March and into Russian facilities in the last third of that month. Gas is still being withdrawn from storage in places in Russia. Withdrawals were a token 62 million cu m on April 2. Some 36.36 billion cubic meters of gas has been withdrawn from Russian storage facilities since the start of the 2012/2013 season, the operating capacity being 66.28 bcm. Another few million cu m could be taken out before the season ends.

The slow start to this spring has not affected exports by Gazprom too much. Demand is holding at the levels seen at the end of March. Gas is still being pumped at full volume