Europe’s gas storage levels fall short of five-year average

Europe’s natural gas storage levels fall 17.06 percentage points below the five-year average, raising shortage concerns, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), the association of European gas infrastructure operators.

The agency said stocks in underground storage facilities reached 61.37% of capacity at the end of the gas day on August 17, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Over the past seven days, the average net gas injection rate stood at 303 million cubic meters per day, 14.6% below the five-year average.

The EU’s total active gas storage capacity is approximately 109 billion cubic meters. Europe remains the world’s largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The latest forecast showed average temperatures in Europe this week will be around 3°C below the climatic norm, which could support demand for gas.

LNG imports into Europe are expected to reach around 6.6 million tonnes in August 2026, down 11% from a year earlier.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov