Ukraine Transports More Russian Gas

Ukraine transported 22% more Russian gas in the first five months of this year than in the same period of 2016, state Naftogaz Ukrainy said June 8. It was also up 64% compared with the same period of 2015.

This year’s volume also hit the record high for the last five years, exceeding the average transit volume for January-May 2013-2016 by nearly 9bn m³.

Using the original transit fee of $2.70/'000m³/100km, that would mean $1.24bn of revenue.

Natural gas transmission from Russia through other routes in the same period has remained nearly stable. With Nord Stream 1 and the planned Nord Stream 2, the bulk of the gas flows from northwest Russia subsea to northeast Germany, with some then heading south to the Czech Republic and Slovakia -- thus by-passing Ukraine. 

Gazprom however covers the increase and fluctuations of EU demand for Russian gas primarily by using the capacities and flexibility of Ukraine’s Direct Stream, as Ukraine pointedly calls its transit system. 

Since the start of the year, Ukraine has shipped 38.26bn m³ of gas for Gazprom. This is 6.86bn m³ more than in 2016, 14.90bn m³ more than in 2015, 7.71bn m³ more than in 2014, and 6.09bn m³ more than in 2013, Naftogaz said.

On peak days in January it transported a little over 300mn m³/d, which would equate to over 110bn m³/yr if constant, although deliveries normally fall in summer. Gazprom also has transit capacity through Belarus and Poland. as well as Nord Stream 1, which has been operating below capacity since February owing to restrictions on the Opal line, briefly lifted for January.

William Powell