Ukraine stores 11.3 bcm of gas in its underground facilities, has 1.5 mln tonnes of coal - PM

MOSCOW. July 18 (Interfax) - Ukraine has accumulated 11.3 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas in its underground storage facilities as of mid-July, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a government meeting last Friday.

The objective set to the Naftogaz of Ukraine national oil and gas company is to accumulate 19 bcm of gas in the country's underground storage facilities before the start of the 2022/2023 heating season, the Ukrainian media quoted Shmyhal as saying.

In addition, there are 1.5 million tonnes of coal stored at warehouses of Ukraine's power generating plants as of mid-July, the prime minister said.

"We are continuing to ramp up our own [coal] production as well. We are drawing up agreements with partner countries to ensure that our reserves total a reliable amount of over two million tonnes by the start of the heating season," Shmyhal said.