KIEV, July 17 (Reuters) - Ukraine has collected 12.5 billioncubic metres (bcm) of gas in underground storage as of July 17,still short of the 18-19 bcm it aims to have in reserve beforemid-October, the country's gas transport monopoly said onFriday.
Ukraine is pumping about 32 million cubic metres of gas intoreserves every day, Ukrtransgaz spokesman said.
This means that unless the current rate of pumping isincreased, Ukraine would be around 3 bcm below its target by thestart of the cold season.
Ukrtransgaz started collecting gas in April, takingadvantage of a fall in the price of gas which Kiev buys fromRussia and the EU.
Kiev this month stopped buying Russian supplies due to along-running pricing dispute and said it could fill reserves bybuying European gas as well as store domestically produced gas.
Ukraine uses gas in its underground storages to ensuresupply to domestic consumers in the winter period as well as toguarantee Russian gas transit to Europe. Around 40 percent ofRussian gas exports to the European Union cross Ukraine.
Russian energy officials have said Ukraine should acceleratecollecting gas and Ukraine's government has ordered Naftogaz toborrow $1 billion to finance purchases.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development saidthis week it was considering granting a $300 million tradefinance loan to Ukrainian state energy firm Naftogaz to buy gason the European market.
Kiev is seeking to lessen its dependence on Russian gassupplies by buying gas in Europe.
On Friday, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said liquefiednatural gas (LNG) could be an additional option.
He said U.S. firm Frontera Resources Corp. planned to buildan LNG terminal on the Black Sea cost which would supply gas toUkraine. Ukraine signed a memorandum of understanding withFrontera this week during an investment summit in the UnitedStates. Frontera has said LNG could be supplied via the BlackSea from Georgia.
Frontera says it has identified combined prospective naturalgas resources in Georgia of as much as 365 bcm of gas-in-placeat the Mtsare Khevi Gas Complex and Taribani Field Complex. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, editing by David Evans)
