On April 19th the DEC Members visited the underground gas storage facility of „Latvijas gaze“ in Inchukalns. They were introduced to the process of gas storage underground in natural conditions. The guests were greeted by the vice director of the gas storage facility Juriy Konovalov

The only functioning gas storage facility in the Baltic States is the Inchukalns underground facility, which provides the stability of gas flow throughout the region.
During summer the consumption of natural gas decreases in a couple of times than during winter. At this time the gas in the facility is being pumped, so that during the heating season it could be used by the customers in Latvia, Estonia, Russia’s north-west regions and, in a smaller amount, in Lithuania. Owing to the facility, the stability and the capacity of deliveries of natural gas for the customers in Latvia does not depend on the demand of other states, as they receive the natural gas from the gas storage facility in Inchukalns during the heating season.

Currently, the gas storage facility’s capacity in Inchukalns is 4.47 billion м³, 2.32 billion м³ of which is the active natural gas that goes to the consumers. By technical processes the part of the gas is ballasting gas, in comparison with other gas storage facilities Latvia has the best index and that is less than half of the active gas. This is assured by the positioning of layers underground, approx 680-750 m underground.
If the consumption of gas in the region increases, then the capacity of active gas in the facility can be expanded up to 3.2 billion м³, which will fully supply the demand of gas in Latvia and other states.

Latvia has a unique geological structure, which allows building gas storage facilities with the capacity up to 50 billion м³ in 11 places. This amount is approximately 10 % of the yearly consumption amount of the European states and approximately equals to the whole capacity of the storage facilities in the EU.
The storage is possible in Latvia, as its earth interior has a layer of porous sandstone with good reservoir properties and covered impermeable to gas layers. The geological structures are situated at a optimal depth of 700-800 m which allows the gas storage to be safe and economically beneficial.

Club Members and guests who visited the Inchukalns gas storage facility:
Jerzy Marek Nowakowski — Ambassador, Embassy of Poland
Andre Villers — Counselor, Embassy of Belgium
Frank Van Eynde — Counselor, Embassy of Belgium, Finland
Meelis Ojassoo — Deputy of Head Embassy of Estonia
Aleksandr Gaponenko — Institute of European Studies, President
Olga Pavuk — Editor, magazine Baltic-course-com
Natalia Alekseeva — Journalist
Edgar Ozolins — Director of Company Ausek
Nikolai Kolotilo — Businessman
Igor Zakharciuc — First Secretary, Embassy of Moldova
Roman Tatarka — Attaché, Embassy of Russia
Maksim Preminin — Second Secretary, Embassy of Russia
Dawid Tomaszewski — Attaché, Embassy of Poland
Grzegorz Szopinski — First Secretary, Embassy of Poland
Pavel Litvinov — Deputy Head of Representative Gazprom

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