The Kasimovskoye underground gas storage (UGS) located near the town of Kasimov (Ryazan Oblast) has hosted celebrations dedicated to 30-year anniversary of the UGS commissioning.

The Kasimovskoye UGS is the world’s largest UGS developed in the aquifer, which provides highly secure gas supply for consumers in the central regions of Russia including Moscow and the Moscow Oblast. The UGS plays an important role in opening the seasonal gas supply irregularity for export.

The Kasimovskoye UGS active capacity is currently equal to more than 9 bcm of gas, the number of operating wells is at 287. The maximum daily productivity in the autumn-winter season reaches 100 mcm matching the Moscow daily gas consumption rate. The maximum daily UGS productivity is planned to be increased by 30 per cent.

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The Kasimovskoye UGS construction started in August 1975. In October 1977 the UGS startup complex was put into operation, which included 4 gas pumping units, gas gathering station (GGS-1) with 10 gas wells connected, control room for metering equipment and automatics, power and water supply facilities as well as supporting infrastructure. At the same time first 8 mcm of gas were injected and in November 1978 first gas was extracted from the UGS.

In the next five years 6 GGSs, gas separation units and gas drying, branch pipelines to the town of Kasimov and the Prioksky settlement were put into operation as well as 30 wells were connected to GGS-1. The UGS reached the design capacity of more than 4 bcm of gas.

In 1983 the work began on UGS expansion (stage 2) including construction of GGS-2, GGS-3 with 70 wells and compressor station with 5 units connected, GGS-4 with 40 wells connected. The UGS expansion stage 3 was completed in 1993.

In 1998 the work commenced on the UGS expansion stage 4 including large diameter well drilling and compressor station construction. Wells and compressor station currently have been commissioned. Additionally, a big scope of work on reconstruction and technical re-equipment of the UGS expansion stages 1 and 2 is completed.