The extended closure of the Rough gas storage facility will limit the total volumes of gas available to the UK this winter, even if daily restrictions do not.
Rough will remain closed for injections until March or April 2017, and it looks likely to be only partially open for withdrawals this winter. With at least four wells expected to be available, the extent to which withdrawals will be constrained is not yet known. All 30 of Rough’s wells are being inspected following tests at one well that revealed potential weaknesses. The UK’s gas storage giant accounts for around 70% of the country’s capacity, and its age has been cited as a cause of potential weaknesses – although no leaks have yet been discovered.
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