Ukraine stores planned 14.7 bcm of gas for winter - ministry

MOSCOW. Sept 19 (Interfax) - Ukraine's underground gas storage facilities now contain the 14.7 billion cubic meters that the government has requested for the winter season, Ukrainian media quoted the Energy Ministry as saying.

"The volume of natural gas in underground gas storage facilities reached 14.7 billion cubic meters as of September 19. Consequently, the government's target to reach the forecast balance of natural gas in storage facilities required for the heating season was met early," Energy Minister German Galushchenko was quoted as saying.

The ministry said foreign traders had stored some 2 bcm of gas in Ukrainian facilities as of September 15 and that could rise to 3 bcm by the start of the winter.

Alexei Chernyshov, the head of Naftogaz, said that Ukraine continued to increase production and pump gas into storage, despite the target for the heating season having been met.

"Currently, the Naftogaz group is demonstrating the highest drilling rates for 15 years. We have put 54 new wells into operation since January this year alone, increasing daily production by 3.7 million cubic meters compared to September last year and bringing overall production across the country to 52.7 million cubic meters of gas per day," the Naftogaz press service quoted Chernyshov as saying.