---
title: "Controlled Gas Export: How Ukraine Can Give Gas Companies the Funds to Recover After Attacks"
description: "Experts from ICC Ukraine and the Razumkov Centre believe that the controlled export of part of domestic gas will give producing companies the funds to recover after attacks and carry out new drilling, provided the domestic market is fully supplied."
date: 2026-08-30T15:34:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/controlled-gas-export-ukraine-recovery-after-attacks
tags: [ukraine, natural-gas, energy, gas-export, icc-ukraine, energy-security]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Controlled Gas Export: How Ukraine Can Give Gas Companies the Funds to Recover After Attacks

![Gas pipelines with control valves at an export gas distribution station in Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/30/kontrolirovannyi-eksport-gaza-ukraina-vosstanovlenie/kontrolirovannyi-eksport-gaza-ukraina-vosstanovlenie-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Alexander Trokhymets, Vice President for Energy at ICC Ukraine, stated that the controlled export of part of domestic gas could give private companies the funds to recover after attacks and carry out new drilling.
- The mechanism is permissible only with full supply of the domestic market and state control of maximum volumes, with the ability to promptly stop deliveries.
- According to Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, 14.3 billion cubic meters of gas have been stored in underground storage — more than a year earlier (~11 billion); more than 15 billion cubic meters are expected by November.
- Vladimir Omelchenko, an expert at the Razumkov Centre, also supports the idea provided domestic resources are sufficient for winter; zero export quotas have been in effect since 2022.

Ukrainian energy experts are once again discussing the possibility of partially opening up the export of domestically produced natural gas. Alexander Trokhymets, Vice President for Energy at the Ukrainian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Ukraine), stated that the controlled export of a portion of the gas could become an additional source of funds for private companies to restore damaged facilities, carry out new drilling, and support production after Russian attacks. According to him, Russia is systematically striking Ukraine's gas infrastructure, which means ongoing costs for repairs, equipment replacement, geological exploration, and new wells — expenses the industry is forced to bear under wartime conditions.

### Why the Industry Needs Export

The key argument of the mechanism's supporters is liquidity. According to Trokhymets's assessment, additional revenue from controlled deliveries could be used to restore damaged capacity, purchase equipment, carry out new drilling, and preserve jobs. For the state, in turn, this means tax revenue, support for domestic production, and a reduced need to spend currency on gas imports in the future. "In order to have Ukrainian gas tomorrow, the industry needs investment today. Under wartime conditions, state control is undoubtedly necessary. But control must not turn into a ban on businesses earning the funds needed for their recovery," the expert summed up.

### Conditions and Control: Not an "Open Border"

At the same time, ICC Ukraine emphasizes that this is not about unlimited opening of exports. According to Trokhymets, the mechanism should work only on the condition that the domestic market is fully supplied, and that the state controls the maximum volume of deliveries and is able to stop them promptly in case of risks to energy security. "There is no 'we opened the border for domestic gas, sell as much as you want'," he noted. The reminder that the Cabinet of Ministers introduced zero quotas for the export of Ukrainian-origin natural gas at the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022 shows that any change to this regime will be a step requiring a balanced assessment.

### Gas Reserves: Figures That Support the Position

Separately, the expert drew attention to current reserves. According to data cited by Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, 14.3 billion cubic meters of gas have already been stored in underground storage facilities — significantly more than during the same period last year, when the figure was about 11 billion cubic meters. Earlier, in the second half of July, about 13 billion cubic meters had been stored in underground storage. According to government estimates, by the beginning of November Ukraine may store more than 15 billion cubic meters, which is expected to be sufficient to get through the heating season. It is precisely this reserve, in the experts' logic, that creates room for discussing the controlled export of surplus resources.

### Contradictory Data

Public statements and materials from different dates cite several different figures for gas reserves: about 13 billion cubic meters (second half of July), 14.3 billion cubic meters (current data, citing the Energy Minister), and a forecast of more than 15 billion cubic meters by the beginning of November. The difference is explained by the dynamics of summer injection, not by a conflict of versions. At the same time, in one of the materials the increase over the previous year was characterized as "more than 40%," whereas comparing 13 billion with last year's ~11 billion gives around 18% — that is, the growth rate depends on the chosen baseline comparison period. These discrepancies should be taken into account when interpreting arguments about the "surplus" of reserves.

### The Other Side's Position and Conclusion

Earlier, Vladimir Omelchenko, Director of Energy and Infrastructure Programs at the Razumkov Centre, stated that the controlled export of part of Ukraine's gas could give producing companies additional funds for drilling and investment, but strictly on the condition that domestic resources are sufficient to get through winter. Thus, both figures discussed — the ICC Ukraine representative and the Razumkov Centre expert — agree on the main point: export is permissible only as a controlled tool to support the industry, not as free trade in domestic resources. The conclusion of the discussion comes down to a balance between energy security and the economic sustainability of gas production under wartime conditions.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Controlled export could give gas companies funds to recover after attacks, - expert](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kontrolovaniy-eksport-mozhe-dati-gazovikam-1788103799.html) - Первичное заявление Александра Трохимца (ICC Ukraine) о контролируемом экспорте, затратах на восстановление и контроле государства.
- [Controlled export of surplus gas could provide companies with funds for ...](https://www.unian.net/economics/energetics/kontroliruemyy-eksport-izbytochnogo-gaza-mozhet-obespechit-kompaniyam-sredstva-na-vosstanovlenie-posle-atak-icc-ukraine-13451430.html) - Публикация заявления ICC Ukraine о средствах на восстановление после атак; согласуется с основным текстом.
- [Controlled gas export could help attract investment in new wells and ...](https://www.obozrevatel.com/ekonomika-glavnaya/kontroliruemyij-eksport-gaza-mozhet-sposobstvovat-privlecheniyu-investitsij-v-novyie-skvazhinyi-i-vosstanovlenie-infrastrukturyi-omelchenko.htm) - Позиция Владимира Омельченко (Центр Разумкова) о экспорте при условии достаточности внутреннего ресурса для зимы.
- [Controlled export of surplus gas could provide producing companies with funds for ...](https://www.unian.net/economics/energetics/kontroliruemyy-eksport-izbytochnogo-gaza-mozhet-obespechit-dobyvayushchim-kompaniyam-sredstva-na-vosstanovlenie-posle-atak-expro-13454850.html) - Публикация заявления ICC Ukraine о средствах на восстановление после атак; согласуется с основным текстом.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is "controlled export" of gas in this context?
**A:** It is a mechanism under which part of domestically produced gas may be supplied abroad only on the condition that the domestic market is fully supplied, and the state sets a maximum volume and can promptly stop deliveries in case of risks to energy security. This is not an "open border" for free sales.

### Q: Why do gas companies need such export?
**A:** According to experts' assessment, additional revenue could be used to restore damaged facilities, purchase equipment, carry out new drilling, and preserve jobs, while for the state — for taxes and reducing the need for currency for imports.

### Q: How much gas is currently in underground storage?
**A:** According to data cited by Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, 14.3 billion cubic meters have been stored in underground storage — more than a year earlier (~11 billion). Earlier, in the second half of July, it was about 13 billion cubic meters, and more than 15 billion cubic meters are expected by the beginning of November.

### Q: Is there currently a ban on gas export?
**A:** Yes, the Cabinet of Ministers introduced zero quotas for the export of Ukrainian-origin natural gas at the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The mechanism under discussion is a possible change to this regime, not current practice.