© Mediacenter GDF SUEZ / Sébastien Calvet, Gilles Crampes, Franck Dunouau, Philippe Dureuil, Pierre-François Grosjean, Noël Hautemanière, Didier Raux, Michel Urtado.
Natural gas is compressed and stored either in permeable porous rock filled naturally with water (an Aquifer layer), or in caves dug in layers of salt (Salt caverns). These underground reserves are filled up in the Summer to meet high consumption during the Winter months.
This involves storing natural gas in a former reserve that is no longer used. The reserve is converted to inject natural gas into a sealed geological structure, which has already held substances for millions of years.
French anti-terrorist regulations (Vigipirate) do not allow the general public to visit "sensitive" industrial sites. However, we do have teaching tools to explain the gas supply chain to primary school children, covering the production, transport, storage, and distribution of natural gas, as well as films explaining how gas storage works, drilling, etc.
When natural gas is stored under the ground, it cannot catch fire as there is no oxygen. However, in surface facilities, very strict safety rules are applied to eliminate any risk of inflammation (ban on smoking and using spark-producing devices, etc.).
The work will mainly mean more road traffic near the site, to bring materials or remove ballast from the excavation work. Storengy will ensure that any inconvenience due to machinery and trucks is kept to a minimum. Work supervisors will regularly inform local residents about progress and any impact the work might have on local life.
Please visit our Recruitment section where you will find details of our jobs along with openings. Any applications for jobs not listed under openings will also be considered.
Natural gas is not toxic. Operating a storage site requires the use of chemical products that are used carefully to avoid affecting the atmosphere or polluting the ground. Runoff water is collected on the site and treated. Waste is also sorted and eliminated in line with the regulations.
We are also replacing gas-powered engines and turbines with electric motors to reduce the site’s environmental impact (by reducing the emission of combustion gases). All French storage sites are certified to ISO 14001 environmental standards.
Reservoirs dug in porous rock (sandstone) whose spongy formations naturally fill with water.
Coefficient, expressed as a percentage between zero and 100 which, for a given Day on a Storage group, reflects the physical withdrawal constraints for conditional capacity, due to the Customer’s Inventory level on the Day in question, as defined in the Physical Characteristics of the Storage groups.
Set each day by multiplying the Maximum Conditional Injection Capacity by the Conditional Injection Reduction Factor for that Day
Set each day by multiplying the Maximum Conditional withdrawal Capacity by the Conditional Withdrawal Reduction Factor for that Day.
Coefficient, expressed as a percentage between zero and 100 which, for a given Day on a Storage Group, reflects the physical Injection constraints for conditional capacity, due to the Customer’s Inventory Level on the Day in question, as defined in the Physical Characteristics of the Storage Groups.
Any individual or legal entity, Party to the Agreement, other than the Storage Operator.
Set each day by multiplying the Nominal injection capacity by the Injection capacity reduction factor and, where applicable, adding the result of multiplying the Additional Injection Capacity by the corresponding Injection Capacity Reduction Factor for that Day.
set each day by multiplying the Nominal withdrawal capacity by the Injection Capacity Reduction Factor and, where applicable, adding the result of multiplying the Additional Withdrawal Capacity by the corresponding Withdrawal capacity reduction factor for that Day.
Depleted gas or oil reserves can be converted in a fairly simple way into underground storage sites. It involves injecting natural gas into a geological formation that has previously stored hydrocarbon over several million years. The wells are tailored to their new function and a power station is installed to run the facilities.
Coefficient, expressed as a percentage between zero and 100 which, for a given Day on a Storage Group, reflects the physical Injection constraints due to the Customer’s Inventory Level on the Day in question, as defined in the Physical Characteristics of the Storage Groups.
Coefficient expressed as a percentage, defined each Day, representing the ratio between the Inventory of the Day and the Nominal storage capacity, with the addition, where applicable, of the Additional Volume capacity and the sum of the acquired Volume Capacity minus the sum of the Volume Capacity transferred over the period of the Agreement.
Injection capacity subscribed by the Customer on a Storage Group under the Conditional Injection Capacity Option and defined in the Special Conditions.
Withdrawal capacity subscribed by the Customer on a Storage Group under the Conditional Withdrawal Capacity Option and defined in the Special Conditions.
Quantity of Gas defined each Day on a Storage Group by adding together the Maximum inventory level for that Day and the Volume Capacity relating to Nominal Storage Capacity and the Additional Volume Capacity, and then further adding the sum of the Volume Capacity acquired and deducting the sum of the Volume Capacity transferred over the period of the Agreement.
Coefficient, expressed as a percentage between 0 and 100 which, for a given Day, reflects the annual physical current gas constraints of the Inventory, as defined in the Physical Characteristics of Storage Groups.
Quantity of Gas defined each Day on a Storage Group by adding together the Minimum inventory level for that Day and the Volume Capacity relating to Nominal Storage Capacity and the Additional Volume Capacity, and then further adding the sum of the Volume Capacity acquired and deducting the sum of the Volume Capacity transferred over the period of the Agreement.
Coefficient, expressed as a percentage between 0 and 100 which, for a given Day, reflects the annual physical current gas constraints of the Inventory, as defined in the Physical Characteristics of Storage Groups.
Defined as the ratio between the Volume Capacity and the Nominal Number of Days of Injection of the Storage Group in question.
Constant integer used to describe the Injection performances of a Storage Group.
Constant integer used to describe the Withdrawal performances of a Storage Group.
Defined as the combination of a Volume Capacity with a Nominal Withdrawal Capacity and a Nominal Injection Capacity; this represents the Basic Storage Service on a Storage Group.
Defined as the ratio between the Volume Capacity and the Nominal Number of Days of withdrawal of the Storage Group in question.
Point at which the Customer and the Storage Operator makes gas available to each other for injection or withdrawal in a given Storage Group in application of the Agreement, as defined in the Special Conditions. A Transmission-Storage Interface Point consists of one or more Transmission-Storage Interconnection Points on a single transmission system. A Transmission-Storage Interface Point is connected to one or more Storage Groups.
Cavern formed by dissolving salt with fresh water.
An agreement executed by and between Storengy and a Customer providing for the storage of natural gas in underground Storage Facilities in one or more Storage Group.
A set of infrastructures, installations and systems, operated by or under the responsibility of the Storage Operator, consisting, in particular, of underground structures, such as salt cavities or porous rocks aquifers, of wells, of pipes, of compression, treatment, measurement and pressure reduction devices, of transmission systems, of computer systems etc., which is connected to the Transmission System by a Transmission-Storage Interconnection Point.
Group consisting of part or all of one or more Storage Facilities, on which the Storage Operator carries out the service to which the Agreement relates.
Period beginning at 06:00 on April 1 in one year and ending at 06:00 on November 1 in the same year.
Disposal or acquisition of Nominal Storage Capacity, of Injection (or Withdrawal) Capacity, of Volume Capacity, of Stored Gas Quantities or of Injection (or Withdrawal) Rights-of-Use.
An agreement executed by and between GRTgaz and a Shipper providing for the transportation of natural gas via the Transmission System.
Storage volume associated with Nominal Storage Capacity, defined in the Special Conditions.
Period beginning on at 06:00 on November 1 in one year and ending at 06:00 on April 1 of the following year.
A coefficient, expressed as a percentage of 0 to 100, which reflects for a given day in a storage group, the physical constraints on withdrawal for conditional capacity, due to the customer’s inventory level for the day in question, as defined in the physical characteristics of storage groups.
Tools 2010/2011
Reference documents
Storage Access Agreement 2010/2011
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