Europe’s Gas Storage Is Draining at the Fastest Pace in Five Years

OilPrice · Charles Kennedy · last updated January 23, 2026 – 5:57 AM

Below-average winter temperatures are driving the fastest pace of withdrawals from natural gas storage in Europe in five years, as heating demand is rising. EU gas storage sites were only 47% full as of January 21, according to the latest data from Gas Infrastructure Europe. That’s well below the average for the past few years, signaling that Europe will have to import more gas in the summer to replenish storage supplies. Gas withdrawals have accelerated this month amid colder-than-normal temperatures in most of Europe, and the pace…

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