The goal of this project is to create a Gas Storage Technology Consortium (GSTC) that will provide a means to accomplish industry-driven research and development designed to enhance operational flexibility and deliverability of the nation’s gas storage system. The GSTC will help to maintain a cost-effective, safe, and reliable supply of natural gas to meet domestic demand.

The Pennsylvania State University – consortium director and management

Performers of research projects awarded under RFP #1:

• Gas Storage Field Deliverability Enhancement and Maintenance: An Intelligent Portfolio Management Approach - West Virginia University
• Compact Separators for Gas Storage Field Applications - CO Eng Experiment Station
• Renovation of Produced Waters from Underground National Gas Storage Facilities - Clemson University
• Real-time Wellbore Integrity Modeling - Colorado School of Mines

Performers of research projects awarded under RFP #2:

• Temperature Effects on Threaded Couplings in Caverns - RESPEC
• New Comprehensive Inventory Analysis Tool - Schlumberger Consulting Services
• Cement Evaluation in Gas Filled Borehole - Baker Atlas
• Smart Gas: Using Chemicals to Improve Gas Deliverability - Correlations Company
• Wellbore Cement Bond Integrity - University of Texas

Performers of research projects awarded under RFP #3:

• Demo-Scale Constructed Wetland System for Treatment of Produced Waters from Underground Gas Storage - Clemson University
• Gas Storage Field Deliverability Enhancement and maintenance: An Intelligent Portfolio Management Approach - West Virginia University
• Scale Remediation Using Sonication: Pre-Commercial Test Project - TechSavants, Inc.

Performers of research projects awarded under RFP #4:

• State-of-the Art Assessment of Alternative Casing Repair Methods - Edison Welding Institute
• Wellbore Cement Bond Integrity - Univ. of Texas at Austin
• Brine String Integrity-Case History Survey and Model Evaluation - PB Energy Storage Services
• Predicting and Mitigating Salt Precipitation - Correlations Company
• Technology Feasibility Evaluation of Non-Intrusive Optical Detection, Monitoring and Preliminary Characterization of Casing Cement Leaks for Gas Wells - URS Group
• Effects of Tensile Loading on the Remaining Strength of Corroded Casing - Kiefner and Associates
• Protocol Evaluation for Scale Prevention and Remediation in Gas Storage Reservoirs and Formulations - original submission for a two year effort - Colorado School of Mines
• Storage Field Wellbore Flow Data Containing Water and Hydrates - Colorado Engineering Experiment Station

Performers of research projects awarded under RFP #5:

• Evaluation of Magnetic Pulse Welding (MPW) for Improvement Casing Repair - Edison Welding Institute (EWI)
• RGD X-Ray Technology Well Bore Inspection and Assessment-A Feasibility Study - Gas Technology Institute
• Penetration Power of Ultrasonic Guided Waves for Piping and Well Casing Integrity Analysis - Penn State (Lissenden)
• Smart Gas: Using Chemicals to Improve Gas Deliverability-Phase II - Correlations Company

Performers of research projects awarded under RFP #6:

• Gas Storage Facility Design Under Uncertainty - University of Texas at Austin
• Predicting and Mitigating Salt Precipitation - Phase II - Correlations Company

Performers of research projects awarded under RFP #7:

• Testing for the Dilation Strength of Salt - RESPEC

Performers of research projects awarded under RFP #8:

• Temperature Logging as a Mechanical Integrity Test (MIT) for Gas-Filled Caverns - RESPEC
• Extension of a Method to Validate the Remaining Strength of Corroded Casing to Additional Cases - Kiefer and Associates
• RGD X-Ray Technology Well Bore Inspection and Assessment-A Feasibility Study - Gas Technology Institute
• Ultrasonic Guided Wave Integrity Analysis Tool for Well Casing - Penn State (Lissenden)

Location:
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802-5000

Locations of subcontracted performers:
Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Texas.

Gas storage is critical to the natural gas industry. Producers, transmission and distribution companies, marketers, and end-users all benefit directly from the load balancing function of storage. The unbundling of gas transmission services (as part of regulatory changes) started a process that has fundamentally changed the way gas storage is used and valued. Moreover, the traditional marketplace has differentiated between various types of storage services and has increasingly rewarded flexibility, safety, and reliability.

The total size of the natural gas market has increased and is projected to continue to do so, reaching 30 Tcf/year over the next 10 to 15 years. Much of this increase in demand is projected to come from electric power generation, particularly for peaking units. Gas storage in general, and in particular the flexible services most suited to electric loads, is critical to meet the needs of these new markets. The DOE, in collaboration with the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and the Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI), has funded a number of projects to help storage operators maintain existing capacity and respond to the market’s demand for flexible, safe, and reliable services. The GSTC continues to support these efforts, and through roadmap sessions and other industry input will further define GSTC funded research. The consortium currently supports research on storage issues in the following focus areas: Mechanical, Wellbore and Reservoir, and Operations and Salt Caverns. A limited amount of research is being considered in the area of Man-Made and Distributive Storage.

The consortium focuses on research needs and priorities as defined by the storage industry. The consortium approach maximizes interaction between the individual operators and provides an effective method for technology transfer for data/information generated under the consortium research projects.

• Established the consortium framework (constitution). Since its inception, the GSTC has engaged 67 members from both industry and academia.
• Awarded projects under eight request-for-proposals (RFP’s). The consortium supported 31 research projects (listed above) awarded under those RFPs with a total estimated value of $5.3 million (including industry cost share).
• Conducted technology transfer meetings to disseminate research results and information: Houston, TX (February 2005); Pittsburgh, PA (August 2005); San Diego, CA (February 2006); San Francisco, CA ( October 2006); Pittsburgh, PA (November 2006); Buffalo, NY (May 2007); Portland, OR (November 2007); Morgantown, WV (November 2007); Chicago, IL (April 2008); Washington, DC (October 2008); Pittsburgh, Pa (November 2009); Morgantown, WV (April 2009); and Kansas City, MO (September 2010).
• The GSTC provided a means to accomplish industry-driven research and development designed to enhance the operational flexibility and deliverability of the nation’s natural gas storage systems; thereby, providing a costeffective, safe, and reliable supply of natural gas to meet domestic demand.
• Final reports from projects performed under the GSTC are available from the GSTC website at: http://www.energy.psu.edu/gstc/

The DOE contract expired on September 30, 2010. The final report is available below under "Additional Information".

$2,797,820

$1,199,066

NETL - John Terneus (John.Terneus@netl.doe.gov or 304-285-4254)
The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) – Joel Morrison (gstc@ems.psu.edu or 814-865-4802)

Final Project Report [PDF-56.0 MB]

Final Reports 2004-2006 [PDF-43MB] - March, 2008

Natural Gas Storage Technology Consortium (NGSTC) web site

Consortium to Research U.S. Storage System [PDF] - Gas Tips - Summer 2004 (Vol. 10, No. 3)

Underground Gas Storage Technology Consortium R&D Priority Research Needs [PDF-226KB] -
Roadmap for the storage consortium

“What’s In Store?” – American Gas (AGA) – March 2005 (Vol. 87, No. 2)