Underground Gas Storage in Iran - Potentials and Perspectives

Underground Gas Storage in Iran - Potentials and Perspectives

Natural gas is believed by many to be the most important energy source for the future. The abundance of natural gas coupled with its environmental soundness and multiple applications across all sectors, means that natural gas will continue to play an increasingly important role in meeting demand for energyin Islamic Republic of Iran (I.R.I). Iranʹs UGS construction started rather late, but experienced a rapid development in recent years. So far, 2 UGSs have been built in Sarajeh gas field and Shourijeh gas field by using depleted condensate gas reservoirs. Nowadays, Sarajeh and Shourijeh gas fields are being usedfor underground gas storage with overall storage capacity of 6.3 MMMm3. Previously, some reservoirsimulation based studies had been published for Iranian gas condensate reservoirs for the purpose of underground gas storage. They mainly focus on Sarajeh depleted gas field which will be mentioned in advance. In this paper technical aspects of some of the Iranian underground gas storage projects areanalyzed in relation to additional gas storage needs and to the role of the new actors in the gas storage sector in the country. An overview of these prospective new gas storage is presented from a technical standpoint.