Gas flows to Ukraine from Slovakia continue as Ukrainian storage levels drop

Gas flows from Slovakia to Ukraine were set to continue at relatively high levels on Feb. 10, with data from Ukrainian grid operator GTSOU pointing to expected delivery of some 7.3 million cu m of gas.

It comes as Ukrainian gas storage levels continue to decline, requiring imports from the west to help meet demand, with deliveries also expected Feb. 10 from Hungary, Poland and Romania.

Slovakia is again importing Russian gas from Gazprom, now delivered via the TurkStream pipeline after supplies via Ukraine were halted on Jan. 1.

Ukraine's total gas stocks are currently well down on last year's levels.

According to data compiled by S&P Global Energy, total Ukrainian gas stocks were at around 7.4 Bcm as of Feb. 8 compared with 9.8 Bcm at the same time in 2024.

However, some 4-5 Bcm of this is said to be cushion gas required for the technical operation of the sites.

Storage data published by Gas Infrastructure Europe showed working Ukrainian gas stocks at just 30.6 TWh (2.9 Bcm) as of Feb. 8.

With its storage capacity of some 31 Bcm, current stock levels mean that working gas volumes in storage are now below the critical 10% level.

According to published trade data supplied to Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, day-ahead delivery at the Romanian PVT hub surpassed Eur90/MWh ($27.253/MMBtu) Feb. 10, while the Hungarian MGP day-ahead contract was last assessed at Eur56.905/MWh in the Platts Market on Close assessment process Feb. 7.

Nominations for Feb. 10 pipeline deliveries into Ukraine from Hungary, Poland and Romania came to 7.2 million cu m, 1.8 million cu m and 1.7 million cu m, respectively, the GTSOU data showed.

Sergiy Makogon, a Ukrainian energy consultant and former CEO of gas grid operator GTSOU, wrote on LinkedIn Jan. 30 that even if current reserves were able to carry Ukraine through the winter, it would likely emerge with "substantially depleted" gas stocks.

Makogon said that to prepare for the 2025-26 winter, Ukraine could have to import up to 3 Bcm of gas.

Ukrainian officials said previously that the country aimed to rely solely on its gas stocks and domestic production to get through the winter.

Eliminating the need for imported gas was a key priority for Kyiv, especially given the high cost of gas in Europe.

Platts assessed the benchmark Dutch TTF month-ahead price at Eur55.56/MWh Feb. 7, Energy data showed.

Gazprom supply

Vojtech Ferenc, general director of Slovakia's gas importer SPP, said Feb. 6 that deliveries of gas to Slovakia from Gazprom had officially resumed via the TurkStream pipeline since Feb. 1.

Speaking at a press conference, Ferenc did not give the volumes being delivered but added that these are expected to double from April 1.

SPP said in a Feb. 6 reply to questions that it would not give any further details.

Meanwhile, SPP's commercial director, Michal Lalik, said in an interview with the Slovak news channel TA3 on the sidelines of the press conference that one problem currently being faced by Slovakia was the fact that Ukraine needed more gas.

"From January, Ukraine did not have sufficient gas and started to significantly buy up quantities. A large amount of gas is flowing through Hungary and Slovakia to Ukraine," Lalik said.

Slovak economy minister Denisa Sakova previously highlighted the same problem at the start of January, warning at the time that Ukraine gas storage levels had dropped to a critical level.

"Ukraine will need to import at least 100 million cu m of gas during February given the predicted drop in temperatures," she said.

SPP's Lalik warned Feb. 6 that gas supplies via TurkStream via the Balkans and Hungary even at full capacity were insufficient to meet Slovakia's domestic consumption needs.

"Around 3.5 Bcm of gas can be shipped a year through Hungary [to Slovakia] while Slovak demand is around 4.5 Bcm/year. That means that we have to find another 1 Bcm/year through other routes," he said.

Slovak gas grid operator Eustream said Jan. 15 that capacity at the Hungarian-Slovak interconnection would be officially increased to 3.5 Bcm/year from the previous 2.63 Bcm/year from April 1 this year.

The increase had already been put into effect on a pilot basis from Oct. 2, 2024, under an agreement between the Slovak and Hungarian pipeline companies.