Haidach gas storage is an underground natural gas storage in the town of Haidach near Salzburg, Austria. As of the end of 2018 with a capacity of ~2.9 billion cubic meters (bcm) it is the third largest (after Rehden with volume of ~4.7bcm and Bergermeer of ~4.5bcm of capacity) gas storage facility in Central Europe. [1]
In 1997, Rohöl-Aufsuchungs Aktiengesellschaft (RAG) discovered the Haidach gas reservoir holding a total gas in place of 4.3 billion cubic meters (bcm). [2] After depletion of the reservoir, it was planned to convert into a gas storage. The contract for use of the Haidach reservoir as a storage for natural gas was signed between RAG, Wingas and Gazprom Export on 13 May 2005. [3] Construction works started in 2005. [2] The gas storage started officially operating on 24 May 2007. [1]
Haidach underground gas storage uses depleted Haidach porous sandstone gas reservoir at a depth of 1,600 metres (5,200 ft). [2] The operating capacity of the gas storage in the first phase is 1.2 bcm. In April 2011, after completing the second phase, the operating capacity would be doubled. [1] The gas storage is connected to the Austrian and German gas grids at Burghausen/Überackern through the 39 kilometres (24 mi) long Austria-Bavaria gas pipeline (ABG). [2]
The construction of the first stage cost €250 millions. [1]
Haidach gas storage is a joint project of RAG, [4] Wingas, SEFE Storage (Astora) [5] and Gazprom Export (GSA LLC). During April 2021, Gazprom-associated gas storage facilities became unusually low and remained low instead of refilling in the off-peak summer season as usual. [6] [7] [8] In July 2022 the Austrian government gave away Gazprom's portion of the Haidach gas storage facility to RAG Austria for failure to fill it up for the winter season. [9] It is operated by the Austrian energy company EVN. [1]
The Shtokman field, one of the world's largest natural gas fields, lies in the northwestern part of the South Barents Basin in the Russian sector of the Barents Sea, 600 kilometres (370 mi) north of Kola Peninsula. Its reserves are estimated at 3.8 trillion cubic metres of natural gas and more than 37 million tons of gas condensate.
Baumgarten an der March is a small subdivision of the municipality of Weiden an der March in Lower Austria, Austria. It has only 192 inhabitants.
The Russia–Ukraine gas disputes refer to a number of disputes between Ukrainian oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrayiny and Russian gas supplier Gazprom over natural gas supplies, prices, and debts. These disputes have grown beyond simple business disputes into transnational political issues—involving political leaders from several countries—that threaten natural gas supplies in numerous European countries dependent on natural gas imports from Russian suppliers, which are transported through Ukraine. Russia provides approximately a quarter of the natural gas consumed in the European Union; approximately 80% of those exports travel through pipelines across Ukrainian soil prior to arriving in the EU.
The Yamal–Europe natural gas pipeline is a 4,107-kilometre-long (2,552 mi) pipeline connecting Russian natural gas fields in the Yamal Peninsula and Western Siberia with Poland and Germany, through Belarus. The Poland portion ceased operating in 2022.
Societatea Națională de Gaze Naturale Romgaz SA Mediaș or simply Romgaz is the largest natural gas producer in Romania and one of the largest producers in Eastern Europe. The company is the country's main supplier and responsible for producing around 40% of the total natural gas consumption in Romania.
Natural gas is a commodity that can be stored for an indefinite period of time in natural gas storage facilities for later consumption.
South Stream is a canceled pipeline project to transport natural gas of the Russian Federation through the Black Sea to Bulgaria and through Serbia, Hungary and Slovenia further to Austria. It was never finished.
Ruhrgas AG was the largest natural gas transportation and trading company based in Essen, Germany. The company was founded in 1926 and it finally ceased to exist on 2 May 2013 when it was merged into E.ON Global Commodities SE.
SEFE Energy is a gas distribution company located in Kassel, Germany. It is a subsidiary of Securing Energy for Europe.
RAG Austria AG (RAG) is the largest gas storage operator and thus energy storage company in Austria. The company focuses its business activities on the storage of natural gas and other gaseous energy and the development of green-gas technologies. With a total storage capacity of more than six billion cubic meters of natural gas, RAG contributes to the security of supply of Austria and Central Europe. RAG operates the Haidach gas storage facility in joint ventures with Gazprom Export and Wingas as well as the 7Fields gas storage facility together with Uniper. In addition RAG operates its own storage facilities at Puchkirchen/Haag, Haidach 5, Aigelsbrunn, 7Fields(RAG). The production and use of gas as fuel are also business areas of RAG.
The Bergermeer gas storage is an underground natural gas storage in the Alkmaar region north of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It started operations in 2014. It is one of the largest gas storages in Europe.
SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH, a company registered in Berlin, Germany, is headquarters of a diversified conglomerate, comprises 40 entities operating in more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia and North America. Under the former name Gazprom Germania GmbH it was a 100% subsidiary of the world's largest natural gas company, Gazprom, from 1990 to 2022. Gazprom Germania held several subsidiaries in Europe, including pipes and large underground gas storage facilities in Rehden, Jemgum and Haidach. Since 2022, Germany's federal energy regulator – the Federal Network Agency – has controlled the company as a temporary trustee. In June 2023, SEFE signed a 20-year contract for 2.25 million tonnes of LNG per year from a US company.
Vemex is a Gazprom-controlled natural gas trading company in the Czech Republic. In addition to the Czech Republic, the company also operates in Slovakia.
Russia supplies a significant volume of fossil fuels to other European countries. In 2021, it was the largest exporter of oil and natural gas to the European Union, (90%) and 40% of gas consumed in the EU came from Russia.
Ukraine extracts about 20 billion cubic meters of fossil gas each year, and since 2022 this has almost met demand. Ukraine has been estimated to possess natural gas reserves of over 670 billion cubic meters (in 2022), and gas is an important part of energy in Ukraine. In 2021, Ukraine produced 19.8 billion cubic meters (bcm or Gm3) of natural gas. To satisfy domestic demand of 27.3 bcm that year, Ukraine relied on gas imports (2.6 bcm) and withdrawal from underground storage (4.9 bcm). Winter demand can reach 150 mcm per day.
Romania has proven natural gas reserves of 726 billion cubic meters and is ranked 30th among countries with proved reserves of natural gas. About 75% of Romania's natural gas resources are located in Transylvania, especially in Mureș and Sibiu counties. The largest natural gas field in Romania is the Deleni gas field discovered in 1912 and located in Băgaciu commune, Mureș County, with proven reserves of 85 billion cubic meters or 3 trillion cubic feet. Other important gas fields include the Filitelnic gas field, the Roman-Secuieni gas field, the Voitinel gas field, the Ghercești gas field and the Sărmașel gas field all with reserves larger than 10 billion cubic meters or 350 billion cubic feet. Currently Romania has the second largest natural gas reserves in the European Union just after the Netherlands.
The natural gas transmission system of Ukraine is a complex of pipelines for import and transit of gas in Ukraine. It is one of the largest gas transmission systems in the world. The system is linked with the systems of Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia, and was formerly linked with the natural gas transmission systems of Russia and Belarus. The system is owned by Government of Ukraine and operated by Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine. Some local transmission lines together with distribution sets are owned by regional gas companies.
As part of the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War, on 3 December 2022, the European Union (EU) agreed to cap the price of natural gas in order to reduce the volatility created by Russia in the gas market.
A Strategic natural gas reserve is a government funded natural gas storage facility that holds long term stock piles of natural gas as compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas in case of an emergency. After the 2021–2023 global energy crisis, there has been several countries in East Asia and India that have signaled a commitment to building national strategic natural gas reserves such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and China.
