Europe has already filled its underground storage facilities (UGS) with gas by 63.5%, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). At the same time, net gas injection (the difference between the volume of injection and withdrawal) in the EU UGS from the beginning of the summer season approached 32.5 billion cubic meters out of the required 61 billion cubic meters to fill 90% by next winter. 

According to GIE data, on July 15, gas pumping into EU UGS facilities amounted to 298 million cubic meters. The withdrawal rose to 29 million cubic meters. The total volume of fuel in UGS is only the seventh maximum for July for all time of observations - 69.6 billion cubic meters of gas (-22% to the previous year). 

Europe's UGS facilities are now 63.49% full (8.93 percentage points lower than the average for this date over the past five years) compared to 81.4% a year earlier. According to the European Commission's requirements, EU countries must ensure that their gas storage facilities are 90% full by November 1 each year. At the same time, this requirement gives an additional impetus to gas prices on the European market. TASS calculations show that Europe's net gas injection in the upcoming season of UGS filling should be at least 61 billion cubic meters in order to meet the filling norm. This is almost 50% higher than the net injection a year earlier and is one of the highest figures in history.