Azerbaijan, Baku, July 23 / Trend /
Azerbaijan will increase the capacity of its own underground storage facilities for up to 3 billion - 5 billion cubic meters, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in the final speech at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on the results of the socio-economic development in the first half of 2009. The meeting was chaired by the Head of State.
"In which case, Azerbaijan will increase its value as a gas-exporting country," said Ilham Aliyev.
The Head of State said that work in this area will begin shortly. The relevant order has already been given for this purpose and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is engaged in the issue.
The Azerbaijani President said that additional measures should be taken to expand underground gas storage facilities. Recently, work had been carried out in this area and at the moment the capacity of Azerbaijani gas storage is1 billion -1.5 billion cubic meters. This is enough to hold enough gas reserves in a summer.
Currently, SOCAR is conducting work as part of the first phase of increasing the active volume of the Garadagh gas storage. The gas storage will be reconstructed in two phases. The first phase involves increasing its active volume to 1.4 billion cubic meters compared to the current 500 million cubic meters.
Earlier the First Vice President of SOCAR on Geology, Geophysics and Mining Khoshbakht Yusifzadeh said that the work, which is part of the first phase of expanding the gas storage, is expected to be completed by the beginning of the gas injection season (March-April) in 2010.
The second phase of the gas-storage expansion is planned to increase the active volume to 2.3 billion cubic meters.
Under the feasibility study, developed by SOCAR's Neftgazstroy Institute, the total cost of increasing the active volume of the Garadagh underground gas storage facilities will be 75 million manat.
There are two underground storage facilities in Azerbaijan, the second of which is in Kalmaz. The active capacity of the gas storage facility is 1.1 billion cubic meters.
Additional measures should be taken to supply the country's people with quality gas. Smartcard meters should be installed. Ganja has had a positive experience in this area. A factory in Ganja produces the meters. The population is satisfied with the system, because communication between supervisors and customers has ceased. "It is a very good system. We should try to install these meters all over the country," Ilham Aliyev said.