Turkey's natural gas consumption fell by 14 percent to 3.46 billion cubic meters (bcm) in April 2016, compared to the same month of 2015, according to Turkish energy watchdog data.
Household consumption, which has an important share in total consumption, decreased by 33 percent in April 2016, according to the Natural Gas Market Report for April 2016 of the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority, EMRA.
Despite the decrease in consumption, the country kept its natural gas imports stable and experience only a 0.5 percent fall in April, compared to the same month in 2015. Turkey's natural gas imports fell from 3.57 bcm to 3.55 bcm in this period, EMRA's report showed.
As a result of the stable natural gas imports and fall in consumption, Turkey was given the opportunity to increase the volumes of stored natural gas in its storage facilities.
In April 2016, Turkey increased the amount of total (LNG and underground storage facilities) stored natural gas by 377 percent from 250 million cubic meters (mcm) last April to 1.19 billion cubic meters.
In this period, natural gas in Turkey's underground storage facilities only rose 14 fold from 76 mcm to 1.09 bcm.
Turkey's monthly natural gas exports increased by 36 percent to 70 mcm to Greece - the only country that imports natural gas from Turkey.
By Muhsin Baris Tiryakioglu
Anadolu Agency
muhsin.tiryakioglu@aa.com.tr