Ukraine Increases Natural Gas Transit by 8.2 Percent

Kyiv, November 3, 2011. During the first ten months of 2011 Ukraine increased the transit of natural gas through its territory to the countries of Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States by 8.2 percent. Each and every order from the European consumers for the transportation of natural gas has been executed, according to the director of the United Dispatching Centre of Ukrtransgas AC Andriy Datsyuk.

The transit of natural gas to Europe and CIS countries has increased by 8.2 percent, which amounts to 6,5 billion cubic meters. The volume of gas transported during the ten months of 2011 equals 85,6 billion cubic meters. During the ten months of the current year Europe received 8.6 percent more gas through the Ukrainian gas transit system comparing to the same period of 2010.

It’s been previously reported that during the first four months of 2011 Ukraine pumped 39 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia, which is 12.5 percent more compared to the respective period of 2011. Notably, the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory increased in 2010 by unprecedented 56.8 percent compared to the same period of 2009.

Ukraine is a major transit country of the natural gas to the European Union. Ukraine currently accounts for about 80 percent of Russian gas transit to the EU countries. The gas transit system of Ukraine is the second largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Its overall length is 37.6 thousand kilometers.

The Ukrainian gas transit system includes the main gas pipeline, gas service pipes, gas storage facilities, compressor stations, and gas-measuring stations. The transit capacity is 288 billion cubic meters on the border with the Russian Federation and 178.5 billion cubic meters on the borders with Poland, Romania, Belarus and Moldova, which includes 142.5 billion cubic meters capacity with the EU.