No abstract

In most countries, the gas sector is one of the sectors that have a significant impact on the state energy security. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and after the changes of communist rule, the Czech Republic as well as Ukraine began their own battle for energy independence. After political and economic revolution, there was a long and difficult journey which had both positive and negative consequences for the development of the countries. Natural gas consumption in Ukraine amounted to almost 114.95 billion cubic meters in 1991, while in the Czech Republic it was near 5.9 billion cubic meters. [2,4] Accordingly, gas consumption per person reached circa 2.2 thousand cubic meters per year in Ukraine, and 0.57 thousand cubic meters per year in the Czech Republic. Currently, Ukraine has a significant advantage in gas reserves and capacity of underground gas storages. According to the official data, the total gas reserves in Ukraine are about 1050 billion cubic meters, while in the Czech Republic only 4.73 billion cubic meters.

The paper analyzed the natural gas sector in Ukraine for the period 2000 to 2018. This sector was affected by external factors, such as the crisis which began in late 2008/2009, as well as internal factors, including the situation in Ukraine after 2013 (the Annexation of Crimea). A comparative analysis was also conducted of the natural gas sector in European Union countries and Ukrainecompared the specificity of natural gas consumption in 2018. The analysis (I) examined the demand for natural gas in Ukraine between 2000 and 2018; (II) described changes in sources to cover Ukraine's gas needs with a particular emphasis on its own production; (III) pointed to the fundamental changes that have occurred in the natural gas supply routes to the Ukrainian sector in recent years; (IV) stressed the growing role of own production in balancing Ukraine's gas needs; (V) described the role of Ukraine as a transit country for Russian gas to be delivered to EU countries (in recent years, the volume of natural gas transmitted via the Ukrainian transmission system has been around 90 bcm annually); and (VI) looked at the structure of natural gas consumption in the Ukrainian gas sector and how it has changed in recent years. Unlike EU countries, the growing role of own production in balancing Ukraine's natural gas needs was emphasized, which is consistent with the strategy of the Ukrainian government. Also, attention was drawn to the threats that may significantly reduce the role of Ukraine as an important transit country. The paper also puts forward the most important parameters concerning the underground natural gas storage facilities in Ukraine which is one of the largest in Europe.

No abstract

The natural gas sector plays a significant role in the energy sector. In Ukraine, natural gas accounts for about 30 % of the total consumption of energy resources, while in the Czech Republic only about 16 %. The article presents a comparative analysis of the natural gas sector in Ukraine and the Czech Republic in 2010-2019. The dynamics of changes in the production and consumption of natural gas in the discussed countries was presented. The structure of primary energy consumption, including natural gas, in 2018 and 2019 was analyzed. The analysis also covered the import of natural gas to Ukraine and the Czech Republic for own demand. Ukraine still has to import natural gas to meet its own demand, but in recent years, there have been drastic changes in the import of natural gasand import dependency has decreased by about 24 % in the analyzed period [1,2]. On the other hand, in the Czech Republic, the import of natural gas fluctuated within a limited range, and the import dependence increased by about 27 % compared to 2010 [1,3,4]. The article also deals with the problems of the gas pipeline system supplying natural gas from Russia to European countries.