OREANDA-NEWS. On May 26, 2007 the Kuyurgazinsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan has hosted a solemn ceremony dedicated to the commissioning of the upgraded first leg of the Kanchurinsko-Musinsky Underground Gas Storage Complex, reported the press-centre of Gazprom. 

Attending the ceremony were: President of the Republic of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov, a Gazprom delegation led by the Deputy Management Committee Chairman Alexander Ananenkov, General Director of Bashtransgaz Sergey Panin, representatives of building and contracting companies.

“Cooperation between Gazprom and the Republic of Bashkortostan is of strategic nature and has a crucial importance for the regional development. Today’s event is a huge contribution by Gazprom in providing a reliable gas supply to Bashkortostan and further growth of the Republican economic potential,” stated Murtaza Rakhimov.

“Taking into operation the first leg of the Kanchurinsko-Musinsky UGS Complex is a large-scale work by Gazprom on the development of the Unified Gas Supply System of Russia and its element – an underground gas storage network. Upgrading the existing and building new UGS facilities is targeted at higher flexibility and reliability of gas supply both to domestic and foreign consumers,” said Alexander Ananenkov.

Reference:
The Kanchurinskaya underground gas storage station was set up in 1969, with the Musinskoye UGS facility established in 2004. At present these UGS facilities are integrated within the Kanchurinsko-Musinsky UGS Complex.

As a result of the reconstruction being performed with active involvement of Bashtransgaz the working gas volume of the UGS Complex is planned to be increased from 3,4 to 5,5 bcm, i.e. more than 1,5fold. Furthermore, there are plans to enhance the quality of gas fed from the UGS Complex into the gas supply system, to boost the reliability of gas supply to the Republic and of the UGS Complex functioning via a higher automation level for production processes as well as to improve the environmental situation in the Republic.

The Agreement of Cooperation and the Accord on the Completion of Gasification of the Republic of Bashkortostan were signed on June 19, 2003.

Natural gas penetration in Bashkiria’s residential sector is at 78,5 per cent including 90,3 per cent in cities and towns, and 58,2 per cent in rural area. The identical Russia-averaged figures account for 54, 61 and 36 per cent, respectively.

In 2007 Gazprom intends to invest RUR 500 mln for constructing seven gas pipelines in Bashkortostan, with RUR 400 mln earmarked in the Republican budget for local network construction purposes.

In 2006 Gazprom supplied the Republic with over 16 bcm of gas and roughly the same volumes are slated for this year.

Gas deliveries in 2006 have been paid up at 101 per cent.