OREANDA-NEWS. August 1, 2008. Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee chaired a meeting in the city of Ufa today dedicated to the underground gas storage (UGS) system development.

Taking part in the meeting were heads and experts of Gazprom Administration’s core business units and the following subsidiary companies: Gazprom UGS, Gazprom transgaz Moscow, Gazprom transgaz Saratov, Gazprom transgaz Ufa, Gazprom transgaz Volgograd, Gazprom transgaz Kuban, Gazprom transgaz Yugorsk, Gazprom export, Gazprom invest Zapad, Gazpromstroyengineering, Giprospetsgaz, Gazproektengineering, VNIIGAZ, Podzemgazprom, VNIPIgazdobycha, and NIIgazeconomica.

The meeting participants discussed current issues and prospects for the development of the UGS system in Russia and abroad.

It was noted that UGS facilities are among crucial elements in reliable functioning of the Unified Gas Supply System of Russia providing up to 30 per cent of gas supplies during winter periods.

The meeting emphasized that the gas transmission system goes through the active development now, which is directly linked to gas production growth both by Gazprom and by independent producers as well as higher gas demand in Russia and abroad. In this context, the contribution of UGS facilities to the optimal performance of the gas transmission system increases considerably.

In this respect, Alexander Ananenkov underscored that securing reliability and enhancing flexibility of gas supplies to consumers in Russia and abroad as well as the potential increment in the peak daily send-out of UGS facilities to 1 bcm by the start of the withdrawal season are the main tasks in the UGS System development being currently implemented by Gazprom.

The participants addressed the progress in engineering and development of new UGS facilities, reconstruction and technical re-equipment of existing UGS facilities within the execution of 2005-2010 Program for underground gas storage activities in the Russian Federation. In particular, the Company is now constructing  three and designing seven new UGS facilities within Russia.

A special attention was paid to the issues of UGS facilities creation and synchronized development including heliostorages in Eastern Siberia and the Far East as an integral part of the Unified Gas Production, Transmission and Supply System currently developed in the region.

The meeting participants discussed issues regarding UGS facilities development and utilization abroad with the view to provide reliability and flexibility of export deliveries and to facilitate a burden on the gas transmission system.

Following the meeting results the Gazprom Administration’s core business units were engaged with ensuring the accelerated development of the UGS System in Russia as well as implementing a number of activities to optimize functioning of the Gas Transmission System and UGS facilities.