Polish company Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo (PGNiG) has announced the expansion of its underground gas storage facility in Wierzchowice. This will increase Poland’s gas storage capacity by 25%. – to 4 billion cubic metres.

The investment in the Wierzchowice Underground Gas Storage (PMG) in Lower Silesia will increase its active capacity from the current 1.3 bcm to 2.1 bcm of gas. According to the head of PGNiG, Iwona Waksmundzka-Olejniczak, quoted in the company’s Thursday information, PGNiG’s capacity to accumulate gas reserves will increase by additional 800 million cubic metres as a result of this investment worth PLN 385 million.

“This will make Poland more resilient to crises such as current one in Europe. By investing in storage infrastructure, we are increasing the potential of the Polish gas market”, added the PGNiG CEO.

The Wierzchowice Underground Gas Storage Facility (PMG Wierzchowice) is a reservoir storage facility where gas is accumulated in a depleted field. It was discovered in 1971 and production was carried out for 23 years. In 1995, the depleted gas field was converted into storage. After the expansion, Wierzchowice will account for almost half of the country’s storage capacity, which will reach 4.03 billion cubic metres after the expansion.

A very important objective of the investment is to increase the injection (filling) and off-take capacity of the gas, which will ensure greater flexibility of the storage facility and the possibility to use it in situations of a sudden increase in demand for gas. As a result of the investment, the injection capacity of Wierzchowice will increase by one third, from the current 14.4 million cubic metres to 19.2 million cubic metres per day. The offtake capacity will be increased even more, by as much as 66% – from 14.4 million cubic metres to 24 million cubic metres per day.

The company added that, as part of the expansion of the Wierzchowice Underground Gas Storage Facility, three new injection and withdrawal wells will be drilled, the gas drying installation will be expanded and additional compressor units will be installed to pump the gas.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński