KIEV, Sept. 25 - Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the country’s national energy company, will invest 1 billion hryvnias ($117.6 million) to finish construction of hundreds of small natural gas pipelines this year, Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said Friday.

There is a total of 449 pipelines that are currently completed by up to 80% and that are aimed at improving supplies of natural gas to more than 1 million people, Prodan said.