OREANDA-NEWS. April 10, 2009. A visiting session of the Gas Industry Commission for Field Development and Subsurface Use has been held in Novgorod.

Taking part in the session were heads and experts from the Gazprom Administration subdivisions and subsidiaries – Gazprom UGS, Gazprom export, Gazprom transgaz Kazan, Gazprom transgaz Yugorsk, Kubangazprom, VNIIGAZ, Gazpromgeofizika, VNIPIgazdobycha, SevKavNIPIgaz, TsKBN, Gazpromenergodiagnostika as well as Orenburggeofizika, Podzemburgaz and GITAS scientific & production firm.

The participants addressed the results of gas withdrawal from underground gas storage facilities over the 2008-2009 autumn/winter period, the gas balance in UGS facilities and the major tasks relevant to preparing UGS facilities for the 2009-2010 withdrawal season.

The session scrutinized well performance and withdrawal regimes over the past autumn/winter period, evaluated the readiness of capacities for gas injection in 2009 and considered technical capabilities for gas injection in UGS facilities during the current year. Special attention was paid to the prospects for developing UGS facilities abroad in order to secure the reliability and flexibility of export supplies.

At the end of the session the Commission positively evaluated the gas withdrawal activities over the 2008-2009 autumn/winter period and defined the key challenges with regard to preparing UGS facilities for operation during the 2008-2009 autumn/winter period.