UK gas storage facilities were unable to re-stock significant amounts of gas over the Christmas holiday period, according to data from system operator National Grid.
The UK's main gas storage facility, Rough, continued to withdraw gas at close to maximum rates during the holidays.
On December 24 Rough held 20,004 GWh of gas. By Tuesday, the latest stock data showed it held 18,158 GWh. That fall, from 1.903 billion cubic meters to 1.727 Bcm, is the equivalent of 44 million cu m/d net withdrawals, pretty close to full rates.
Rough has enough gas to continue to flow at maximum rates for around a further 39 days, meaning that if run flat out, Rough storage would last until early to mid-February.
However, National Grid's real-time flow data indicates that since Tuesday, Rough flows have been below maximum, dropping as low as about 25 million cu m/d at times, coinciding with a milder turn in the weather.
At lower flow rates, Rough's gas will last for longer.
Rough gas storage is a depleted gas field off the coast of northern England, and is a seasonal storage facility, generally filling up quite slowly over winter for withdrawals over the coldest days of winter.
The UK also has a set of "medium-range" storage facilities, such as the Aldbrough and Hornsea salt caverns. These can inject gas into storage quicker than Rough, and so medium-storage can be used for trading over shorter-periods of time, filling up over a few warm days to withdraw over a few colder days.
But medium range facilities have also seen little gas put into storage over the holidays.
National Grid data shows that on December 24 medium storage held 4,470 GWh and by Tuesday it held 4,664 GWh, an increase from 425 million cu m to 443 million cu m, or just 18 million cu m.
The five-year average for Rough stocks on December 28 during 2005-09 is 29,701 GWh, or 2,825 million cu m.
This year sees Rough 1.098 Bcm below the five-year average, the equivalent of enough gas for maximum flow rates for an extra 24 days.
--Alex Froley
The UK's main gas storage facility, Rough, continued to withdraw gas at close to maximum rates during the holidays.
On December 24 Rough held 20,004 GWh of gas. By Tuesday, the latest stock data showed it held 18,158 GWh. That fall, from 1.903 billion cubic meters to 1.727 Bcm, is the equivalent of 44 million cu m/d net withdrawals, pretty close to full rates.
Rough has enough gas to continue to flow at maximum rates for around a further 39 days, meaning that if run flat out, Rough storage would last until early to mid-February.
However, National Grid's real-time flow data indicates that since Tuesday, Rough flows have been below maximum, dropping as low as about 25 million cu m/d at times, coinciding with a milder turn in the weather.
At lower flow rates, Rough's gas will last for longer.
Rough gas storage is a depleted gas field off the coast of northern England, and is a seasonal storage facility, generally filling up quite slowly over winter for withdrawals over the coldest days of winter.
The UK also has a set of "medium-range" storage facilities, such as the Aldbrough and Hornsea salt caverns. These can inject gas into storage quicker than Rough, and so medium-storage can be used for trading over shorter-periods of time, filling up over a few warm days to withdraw over a few colder days.
But medium range facilities have also seen little gas put into storage over the holidays.
National Grid data shows that on December 24 medium storage held 4,470 GWh and by Tuesday it held 4,664 GWh, an increase from 425 million cu m to 443 million cu m, or just 18 million cu m.
The five-year average for Rough stocks on December 28 during 2005-09 is 29,701 GWh, or 2,825 million cu m.
This year sees Rough 1.098 Bcm below the five-year average, the equivalent of enough gas for maximum flow rates for an extra 24 days.
--Alex Froley
