The Gazprom Management Committee reviewed the operating results of the Gazprom Group entities and organizations for the 2020–2021 autumn/winter period and discussed the measures to be taken for ensuring uninterrupted gas supplies to consumers in the upcoming 2021–2022 autumn/winter period. Gazprom announced it on May 13.(Photo quoted from Gazprom’s news release)

It was noted that the autumn/winter period of 2020–2021 was marked by lengthy cold spells in the area covered by Russia’s Unified Gas Supply System (UGSS). Air temperature stayed below the climate normal for long periods of time, for instance, in December 2020 and February 2021.

The company confidently passed through the period of peak demand and completely fulfilled its obligations both in Russia and abroad. From October 2020 to March 2021, gas supplies to domestic consumers via Gazprom’s gas transmission system (taking into account the resources from all suppliers) grew by 8.9% against the autumn/winter period of 2019–2020.

Gas demand in non-FSU countries has substantially increased: export volumes rose by 14.8% in the period from October to March. In October 2020 and January 2021, Gazprom recorded new all-time high figures of gas supply ever observed in these months: 17.4 billion cubic meters and 19.5 billion cubic meters, correspondingly.

Highly reliable supplies are to a great extent secured by the work of underground gas storage facilities in Russia. By the beginning of the withdrawal season, their working gas inventories amounted to an all-time high of 72.322 billion cubic meters, and their potential maximum daily deliverability was at 843.3 million cubic meters (which is also an all-time high). During the heating season, 60.6 billion cubic meters of gas was withdrawn from the UGS facilities, which is the record-high volume withdrawn in the entire history of Russia’s gas industry.

In order to ensure the reliable operation of the UGSS in the 2021–2022 autumn/winter period, the Management Committee tasked the specialized structural units and subsidiaries to:

1)by the next withdrawal season, stockpile at least 72.638 billion cubic meters of working gas inventories in UGS facilities in Russia and increase their potential maximum daily deliverability to 847.9 million cubic meters, therefore reaching new record-highs. The working gas inventories in the Republic of Belarus will amount to 1.09 billion cubic meters, and in the Republic of Armenia – 0.096 billion cubic meters;

2)develop the Basic Guidelines on preparing the facilities of Gazprom's subsidiaries and organizations for the 2021–2022 autumn/winter period;

3)perform scheduled preventive maintenance and repairs at gas production, transmission, underground storage and processing facilities, as well as to prepare transport and specialized equipment for winter operations.

(IRuniverse)

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