Gas Storage - Balancing Supply and Demand
April 5, 2011
Like many commodities, natural gas has an indefinite shelf life. When it is not required immediately, the gas is injected into underground storage facilities, usually located near markets that do not have locally produced natural gas available. It is then extracted as required.
Natural gas storage plays a vital role in maintaining a reliable supply of gas to meet the demands of consumers across North America by balancing supply and demand.
Seasonal demand
Traditionally, natural gas has been a seasonal fuel. Demand is constantly fluctuating, peaking during the winter when it is used to heat residential and commercial buildings.
“Storing natural gas ensures that any excess supply delivered during the summer is available to meet North America’s winter heating needs, explains Mike Southam, TransCanada’s Gas Storage Operations. “Gas storage points are the balancing tool for supply and demand.”
Southam stresses that demand for natural gas during the summer is increasing because of the trend towards natural gas-fired electric generation (as opposed to coal-fired) to power air conditioners and other applications.
Emergency supplies
Natural gas in storage is also crucial insurance against unforeseen incidents like accidents, natural disasters or other events that may affect the production or delivery of natural gas.
ANR Storage Company
TransCanada has become one of the largest natural gas storage providers in both the regulated and unregulated gas storage business in North America. ANR Storage is a key part of those capabilities.
ANR Storage provides firm and interruptible natural gas storage services to customers on both Great Lakes Gas Transmission and ANR Pipeline Company.
ANR Storage is one of the largest developers of new storage facilities and providers of underground natural gas storage services in the U.S. The company is based in Michigan and consists of regulated underground natural gas storage facilities.
ANR Storage details
- 250 Bcf of regulated natural gas storage capacity
- 14 Bcf of regulated natural gas storage expansion recently completed
- Serves markets throughout the Midwest and eastern U.S.
- Provides peak-day withdrawal capability of over 3.5 Bcf/day
- Offering services ranging from high-deliverability peaking to seasonal base load
- Services 17,000 kilometres (10,563 miles) of ANR Pipeline System
- 100 per cent owned by TransCanada
Further Information
