A new method of natural gas storing in gas hydrate form has been presented. The technological ability to create gas hydrate storages in the Arctic regions, using low-temperature of the environment was considered. The possibility of gas hydrates storage at atmospheric pressure in the form of pulps or capsules was estimated. The reservoirs structures that provide storage of gas hydrates in arctic conditions were observed. The advantages of the gas storage method in the form of gas hydrate were presented.
Russian Federation currently operates 25 stations of the underground gas storages. The storage facilities quantity is going to be decrease with opening new areas of gas pipelines and development of existing pipe systems "Ukhta - Torzhok", "NTR - Torzhok" and "Sakhalin - Khabarovsk - Vladivostok". At the present time there are works on finding the optimal locations of natural gas storages and stores designs. It is difficult to operate the underground gas storages due to the effect of external and internal factors:
the heterogeneity of litho logical structures and physical properties of the reservoirs, which effect on water replacement of the gas characters,
gas extraction surface unevenness,
the presence of fossil water and entrained solids in hydrocarbons, extracted from well,
formation of hydrates in gas pipelines and local obstacles (pressure reducer, armature), and so on.
In addition to the well-known methods of natural gas storing, there is relatively new one - to keep natural gas as gas hydrates. The method is widely applied in Japan, Norway and the United Kingdom. In order to use gas hydrates for the natural gas storage, the structures have to be able to stay in stable condition. The surfactants are used to increase the capacity and speed of hydrates formation.
