Natural gas transmission system of Ukraine

The natural gas transmission system of Ukraine is a complex of natural gas transmission pipelines for gas import and transit in Ukraine. It is one of the largest gas transmission systems in the world. The system is linked with natural gas transmission systems of Russia and Belarus on one hand, and with systems of Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia on other hand. The system is owned by Government of Ukraine and operated by Ukrtransgaz. Some local transmission lines together with distribution sets are owned by regional gas companies.

The development of Ukrainian gas pipeline system started in Galicia, then part of Poland. The first gas pipeline was Boryslav–Drohobych pipeline in 1912. In 1924, after discovery of the Dashava gas field the Dashava–Stryi–Drohobych gas pipeline was constructed. In 1928, the Dashava–Lviv and in 1937, the Dashava–Tarnów pipelines were built. After Soviet annexation of Eastern Galicia, the Dashava–Tarnów pipeline became the first cross-border pipeline of the Soviet Union. the Opory–Boryslav and Opory–Lviv pipelines were built in 1940–1941.

The current Ukrainian transmission system was built as an integrated part of the unified gas supply system of the former Soviet Union. In 1940–1960s, it was mainly built to use the Galician gas in other regions of the Soviet Union. In 1948, the Dashava–Kyiv pipeline which was the largest pipeline that time in Europe, was launched. In 1951, Dashava–Kyiv pipeline was prolonged to Bryansk and Moscow. In 1955, construction of the Dashava–Minsk pipeline started, which later was prolonged to Vilnius and Riga. It was completed in 1960. After discovery of the Shebelinka gas field in 1956, the Shebelinka–Kharkiv pipeline and the Shebelinka–Dnipropetrovsk–Kryvyi Rih–Odessa pipeline with branches to Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv and Kherson were completed in 1966. This southern corridor was prolonged to Moldova and later to Southeast Europe between 1974 and 1978. The Shebelinka–Kyiv pipeline with branches to Poltava and Kremenchuk was completed in 1969. In 1970–1974, it was prolonged to the Western border. Also the Shebelinka–Belgorod–Kursk–Bryansk pipelines was built. In 1964, the first underground gas storage in Ukraine, the Olyshevske gas storage, was commissioned.

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