OREANDA-NEWS. As of October 1, 2007 the Belarusian service reserves of residual fuel oil totalled 633,2 thousand tonnes what virtually meets the level of October 1, 2006 and makes up 101,9% as against September 1, 2007, Economy Minister of Belarus Nikolai Zaichenko said on October 16 at a session of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers, which tabled the issues relating to the preparation for the 1007/2008 heating season, reported the Official website www.government.by.

Organisations of the Energy Ministry stored up 428,7 thousand tonnes of residual fuel oil (7,2% more than it was scheduled for October 1, 2007). Companies of the utilities industry hold 62,2 thousand tonnes in reserve (26,5%). At the same time the Brest and Minsk oblasts hit the target by less than 90% and 70% respectively.

As of mid September the firewood storage target was met by 80%. The population faces no problem with purchasing this type of fuel from the corresponding organisations in all oblasts.

As of October 1, 2007 the Belarusian coal reserves reached 116 thousand tonnes (10,6% up by the analogous period of 2006 and 5,2% more than of September 1, 2007).

As of October 1 companies of Beltopgaz Concern hit the peat extraction target and extracted 2,8 million tonnes of peat (22,3% more than on October 1, 2006). They produced 823,9 thousand tonnes of peat briquettes.

According to Nikolai Zaichenko, in order to enhance reliability of the country’s gas supply system the Government drew up schedules of pumping the maximum possible volume of gas into the Osipovichi and Pribugskoye underground gas storage facilities. As of October 4 some 251 million cubic meters of gas were pumped into the Osipovichi underground gas storage facility (106,4% to the target) and 324 million cubic meters of gas - into the Pribugskoye underground gas storage facility (102,4%).