Abstract

Recommended Guidelines for Improvement of Operating Reliability and Work Efficiency of a Borehole at an Underground Gas Storage Facility

Author(s):B. K. Kumar, Essam Abdelrahman Mohamed and E. B. Makashev

Gas storage facility – natural or man-made tank for reserving large amounts of gas and control of its supply in accordance with irregularity of gas consumption. Underground gas storage facility – created in natural or man-made underground reservoirs. The greatest value are UGS which can hold hundreds of millions m3 of gas and more. Special type of gas storage facilities – isothermal storage facilities for liquefied gas, designed for maximum load factoring, i.e. in case of a need for accelerated gas extraction.

A UGS set of engineer installations contains borehole for gas injection and extraction, compressor station, gas transmission system, gas cooling, drying and purifying units (separators, filters, absorbers and adsorbers). UGS boreholes are equipped with automatic down-hole deployment valves in order to rule out the possibility of uncontrolled flowing. Important condition for creation and exploitation of UGS – retention of its impermeability, i.e. prevention of possible gas leaks, primarily to the overlying permeable stratum.

Improvement of exploitation reliability and efficiency of UGS is a relevant issue, solution to which, first of all, depends on the accuracy of choice of a project facility, improvement of construction standards and boreholes servicing.