- Construction of UGS facility in Kurgan Region slated to start in near future.
- Exploration underway for construction of new UGS facilities in three federal districts.
The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the program for underground gas storage (UGS) facility development in Russia for 2020–2030.
It was highlighted that the Company ensures a high level of reliability of its gas supplies to consumers. Consistent increases in deliverability and expansions of the UGS network are essential to this systematic work. UGS facilities form an integral part of Russia’s Unified Gas Supply System and can provide up to 22 per cent of Gazprom’s daily supplies and over 30 per cent during peak periods.
In the span of 10 years, Gazprom enhanced the potential maximum daily deliverability of the Russian UGS network at the season’s start by 36 per cent compared to the 2009–2010 withdrawal season. This indicator reached 843.3 million cubic meters, an all-time record for the Russian industry.
Work continues in this area: by the 2030–2031 withdrawal season, it is planned to raise daily deliverability by approximately 200 million cubic meters.
Increasing the flexibility of the UGS system by creating peak storage facilities of relatively small volume but with high deliverability is among Gazprom’s key tasks in the area of underground storage for 2020–2030. As UGS facilities created in rock salt deposits provide this opportunity, the Company currently continues expanding the Kaliningradskoye and Volgogradskoye UGS facilities and designing the Novomoskovskoye UGS facility.
As part of UGS network development, Gazprom will soon begin building the Shatrovskoye UGS facility in the Kurgan Region, and the Arbuzovskoye UGS facility is being designed in the Republic of Tatarstan. The Company’s existing UGS facilities are expected to undergo renovations and technological upgrades.
In the future, Gazprom plans to establish new UGS facilities in the Northwestern, Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts. At present, geological exploration is underway at several prospective sites.
Gazprom pays special attention to the use of high-tech solutions, namely to increasing well productivity during gas injection and withdrawal, as well as to introducing state-of-the-art domestic equipment.
The relevant units were tasked to continue their work toward developing underground gas storage capacities in Russia.
