Sedigas - Annual Report 2.010

Gas in Spain > Supply, transportation and distribution. > Supply

Supply

Over 2011, natural gas supply reached 401,291 GWh, a 3.1% decrease when compared to 2010.

An extensive diversification of supplies from the Spanish gas system is maintained. In total, Spain received natural gas from 13 different countries.

This is one factor among others (the fact that it has six LNG terminals) which justifies the statement made by the European Energy Commissioner, Günther Oettinger, during the Spanish Gas Association annual meeting, that the Spanish gas sector plays an essential role in supply security in the EU.

Other countries of origin include: Algeria with 36.7%; Nigeria with 18.5%; the Gulf Countries with 13.3% (Qatar 12.8%; Oman 0.5%); Trinidad and Tobago with 7%; and Egypt with 6.5%. A total of 25.5 TWh entered via the French border, most of which originated in Norway.

There are some noteworthy differences when compared with 2010:

Pipeline gas imports from Algeria increased by 31%, due to the launch of the Medgaz operation on 5 March 2010. The total amount of gas from this country increased by 20.7% in relation to 2010.
LNG unloading from Peru increased by 194%, with a total of 21.1 TWh in 2011, which was 5% of total supply. It is placed as the supplier country for the Spanish gas system. Its exports commenced in the second half of 2010.
The most pronounced decrease in exports (LNG) to Spain were recorded in Libya, with a drop of 77%, which is a result of the armed conflict in this Maghrebian country.
Drops in imports from Qatar and Egypt were also significant, both decreasing by 21%.

The new input from Algeria has a nominal capacity of 8 bcm/year (266 GWh/day), reaching an accumulated volume of 23.8 TWh during the first year (incomplete).
In 2010, underground storage gas injection and extraction reached a total of 26,821 GWh, which is very similar to the figure recorded in 2010 (27,009 GWh).
Gas trade has consolidated between LNG importing countries. This means, in terms of market conditions, many countries are exporting part of the gas that was imported. This flexible situation strengthens security of supply.
In the case of Spain, the imports that GTS denominates of trade origin, came from two different countries: USA and Belgium.

The combined figures for the length of transmission and distribution networks amounted to a total of 76,403 km, divided between 11,731 km of the transmission network and 64,672 km of the distribution network. The length of the Spanish natural gas network has increased by 38% since 2005.

SUPPLY OF NATURAL GAS IN SPAIN

(TWh)

SOURCE

DOMESTIC
IMPORTS
Algeria
NG
LNG
Libya
Norway
NG (1)
LNG
Gulf Countries
Trinidad & Tobago
Nigeria
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Yemen
France
Portugal
Italy
USA
Peru
Belgium
Others
TOTAL SUPPLY
EXPORTS
France
Portugal
Others (LNG)
TOTAL NET SUPPLY
Bcm
LNG supply / TOTAL (%)

2004

3,7
320,0
164,1
88,0
76,0
7,4
26,5
26,5
-
61,7
0,0
56,6
-
-
-
-
0,0
0,0
0,0
-
-
3,7
323,7
0,0
0,0
0,0
0,0
323,7
27,9
63,5%

2005

0,6
389,7
170,7
110,3
60,4
10,1
24,4
24,4
-
75,9
5,6
57,7
41,1
-
-
-
0,0
0,0
0,0
-
-
4,2
390,3
0,0
0,0
0,0
0,0
390,3
33,6
65,3%

2006

0,8
409,0
131,1
100,3
30,8
8,0
24,6
24,6
-
68,3
39,0
82,5
55,2
-
-
-
0,0
0,0
0,0
-
-
0,3
409,8
0,0
0,0
0,0
0,0
409,8
35,3
69,3%

2007

1,0
408,9
152,4
102,2
50,2
8,8
25,3
25,3
-
53,1
24,4
96,9
47,0
-
-
1,0
0,0
0,0
0,0
-
-
0,0
409,9
1,2
1,2
0,0
0,0
408,7
35,3
68,4%

2008

1,3
457,6
160,5
103,7
56,8
6,1
32,3
20,8
11,5
61,4
50,1
86,7
57,0
0,9
-
1,5
0,0
0,0
0,0
-
-
1,1
458,9
2,2
1,9
0,3
0,0
456,7
39,6
72,3%

2009

1,7
410,5
127,6
79,6
48,0
8,3
38,1
22,4
15,8
73,3
43,8
55,2
47,9
0,0
1,0
1,6
1,3
12,4
0,0
-
-
0,0
412,2
11,5
8,6
3,0
0,0
400,7
35,5
74,1%

2010

1,2
412,8
122,0
79,4
42,6
4,1
20,7
(1)
20,7
67,5
34,8
87,9
32,7
0,0
3,0
18,6
1,8
10,3
1,3
7,2
0,9
0,0
414,0
12,6
6,9
5,7
0,0
401,4
35,7
75,4%

2011

1,9
399,7
147,4
104,0
43,4
1,0
13,9
(1)
13,9
53,5
27,6
74,2
25,9
0,0
0,0
25,5
4,5
0,0
1,9
21,1
3,0
0,0
401,3
19,1
2,7
8,5
7,9
382,2
34,6
65,4%

2011(%)

0,5
99,5
36,7
25,9
10,8
0,2
3,4
--
3,5
13,3
6,9
18,5
6,5
0,0
0,0
6,4
1,1
0,0
0,5
5,3
0,7
0,0
100,0

(1) Since 2010, imports by pipeline from Norway, counting as input physical movement from France.
(2) Commercial origin

Source: Enagás/TSO

Work continued in 2011 on the underground storage units at Yela and Castor, and the Gaviota field is being extended (the latter two in territorial waters), which will virtually double current capacity.

As previously mentioned, filling of the Medgaz pipeline commenced on 5 March 2011 for the start of tests with gas in the Almeria Terminal. Gas arrived directly by pipeline for the first time in Spain from a supplier country, Algeria.
This was one of the activities that enabled the fulfillment of an objective which commenced in 2000, when CESPA and Sonatrach signed an agreement protocol to build a new Algeria-Europe pipeline, via Spain.
Covering a length of 210 km (from the input terminal in Almeria to the compression station at Beni Saf) and with an investment of €900 M, this gas pipeline has an initial capacity of 8 bcm/year. Its maximum depth is 2,165 metres and it has a diameter of 24 inches.

LENGTH OF PIPELINE NETWORK. TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION (Km).

TOTAL

1985

8.932

1990

13.965

1995

21.162

2000

37.022