New Delhi, Aug. 18 -- Germany's natural gas storage facilities stood at 49.68 percent of capacity as of August 17, industry data showed on Tuesday, a figure that places Europe's largest economy 17 percentage points below the historical average for mid-August and on a trajectory toward the tightest winter gas position the country has faced since 2022.

European gas futures are trading 41 percent above their 2025 equivalent, Sputnik International reported, driven by tightening LNG availability, below-average Norwegian production levels, and continued industrial demand from Germany's manufacturing base.

The European Union's formal benchmark is 80 percent storage by November 1. Set after the 2022 supply disruption as a firewall against the k...