The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the information about the Company’s efforts to improve its natural gas metering system, including at custody transfer points, and the measures taken to reduce gas losses.
Gas flow measurement in the Unified Gas Supply System (UGSS) is carried out at gas metering stations in the course of gas production and transmission via gas trunklines, at gas distribution stations prior to feeding gas into gas distribution networks, and at gas flow metering points that calculate gas consumption for process needs.
It was noted that Gazprom paid great attention to metrological support in technological processes, optimizing performance at the Company’s facilities and monitoring energy efficiency. All tools employed in measurement operations meet the requirements of the national legislation and the more stringent corporate requirements.
The Company makes systematic efforts to increase energy efficiency in gas transmission by, inter alia, improving metering systems and using advanced techniques for leak detection. Thanks to an array of measures, natural gas losses in the UGSS went down by 2.4 times between 2009 and 2017.
Particular attention at the meeting was given to the issue of reducing gas losses in gas transmission systems when gas is supplied to consumers. The main causes of losses in this area include unauthorized gas offtake, interference with measurement devices, and poor condition of gas distribution pipelines. In 2017, 97 per cent of gas losses was registered in the North Caucasus Federal District (NCFD). It was highlighted that two-thirds of gas networks in the region belonged to third-party organizations or had been abandoned.
The Board of Directors commended the Gazprom Group’s efforts with regard to improving the gas metering system and reducing gas losses. The Management Committee was instructed to draft a program to further improve gas metering and reduce gas losses in the NCFD.
