OREANDA-NEWS. May 08, 2014. NJSC “Naftogaz of Ukraine” (Naftogaz) has joined the Transparency Platform (AGSI+) by the standards of the European Storage System Operators (GSE). Starting this week, for Ukraine storage facilities representing a working gas volume of 32 BCM will be reported disaggregated on a weekly basis.

The data will be published every Friday and will display information about the underground storage facilities of Ukraine as on Wednesday of the current week.

Ukraine is the first of the countries that not being a member of the EU has joined the GSE Transparency Platform.

"This is an important step forward for Naftogaz towards improving the level of transparency and integration into the European gas market. Naftogaz proposes EU to use the capacity of the Ukrainian UGS. We intend to offer European companies competitive and reliable solutions on underground gas storage", said Andriy Koboliev, CEO of "Naftogaz of Ukraine". For the most effective implementation of such decisions it is very important to establish reverse deliveries of natural gas to one of the underutilized pipes on the border between Ukraine and Slovakia (the so-called "big reverse"). The European Commission, the Slovakian transmission system operator Eustream and Naftogaz are actively cooperating on as soon as the possible introduction of the option of "big reverse".

Nicole Otterberg, GSE president, stated: “Transparency on storage levels is a key indicator to measure security of gas supply in Europe. GSE is proud to expand the level of transparency by winning Naftogaz of Ukraine as a new contributor to AGSI+”.

AGSI + delivers online daily data representing approximately 79 BCM, i.e. around 82% of EU technical storage capacity. Except Naftogaz, it shows for 31 storage operators in 15 member states volume in stock.

The (European Storage System Operators GSE) is a subdivision of the Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), which also includes the European Gas Transmission System (GTE) and LNG Terminal Operators (GLE).