Ukraine is producing 53 million cubic metres of natural gas daily, including 43-44 mcm from state energy group Naftogaz, the company’s CEO said on Wednesday.

Oleksiy Chernyshov also said Naftogaz has prepared for various scenarios ahead of the winter months and ensured it has appropriate amounts of gas in storage.

“Various scenarios have been developed, including those that assume the end of (Russian gas) transit,” Chernyshov said. “Technologically, we are ready to get through this winter.”

He said Ukraine has less than 13 billion cubic metres of natural gas so far in its underground storage facilities. Non-resident investors hold about 0.5 bcm of natural gas in storage, he added.

The volume of natural gas stored in Ukraine last November ahead of the 2023/24 winter heating season was around 16 bcm, the energy ministry said. Chernyshov said the amount was “quite enough to enter this winter” then.

Ukraine’s state-run Naftogaz and Ukrnafta oil and gas companies have raised their natural gas output by 7% so far this year, the CEO said in late September.

Last year, total Ukrainian gas production rose to 18.7 bcm from 18.5 bcm in 2022, while domestic consumption fell to about 19 bcm.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Writing by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by David Goodman and Jan Harvey)