Middle East to more than double its working gas storage capacity by 2021

Total Working Gas Storage Capacity by Region (bcf)

By 2021, the global working gas capacity is expected to be grow by 21.6 percent, to 18.6 tcf.

Among regions, the Former Soviet Union (FSU) is expected to add the most planned working gas capacity globally by 2021, of around 1,736 billion cubic feet (bcf). Europe follows with 641 bcf of planned capacity additions. The Middle East is expected to witness a growth of around 60 percent in its working gas capacity by 2021, the highest among all regions. The FSU is expected to witness a growth of around 41 percent, and Asia around 29 percent.

GlobalData’s midstream research shows that among countries, Russia leads in terms of planned working gas capacity additions, with 1,647 bcf. China, the US, and Italy follow, with 375 bcf, 243 bcf, and 237 bcf, respectively.

A total of $57.3bn is proposed to be spent for the construction of new underground gas storage sites in the 2017–2021 period. The region with the highest proposed capital expenditure (capex) in the 2017–2021 period, for construction of new underground gas storage sites is the Middle East with $17.9bn, followed by the FSU and Europe with $16.4bn and $15.3bn, respectively.

Russia is expected to account for around 25 percent of the capital spending in the 2017–2021 period for planned gas storage projects, the highest among all countries. A total of around $14.4bn is expected to be spent in the country to increase the working gas storage capacity to 4.2 tcf by 2021. Turkey has the second highest proposed capex in 2017–2021 among countries with $11.9bn, followed by Iran, with $6bn.

Among companies, Gazprom has the highest expected planned working gas storage capacity additions of 1.7 tcf. The company is also expected to spend the highest capex among companies, of $15.8bn, on planned projects. Bendis Enerji is expected to spend the next highest of $10.9bn to add 158 bcf of working gas capacity by 2021.

In the 2017–2021 period, 2,051 bcf of the planned working gas storage capacity additions would be through depleted oil and gas field sites, 764 bcf through aquifer sites, 481 bcf through salt cavern sites, and 27.2 bcf through other sites.