Georgia Underground Gas Storage Reverse Trade Mission

Dates: February 20 – March 6, 2010

Locations: Washington, DC; Southern Louisiana; and Houston, TX

USTDA is sponsoring a two week Reverse Trade Mission (RTM) for up to 8 Georgian delegates representing the Ministry of Energy, the state-owned Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation (GOGC), the Georgian National Energy and Water Regulatory Commission, and the Ministry of the Environment. The key objectives of this Reverse Trade Mission are to highlight U.S. technologies and services related to the Government of Georgia’s and GOGC’s implementation of a new underground gas storage facility to be built at Ninotsminda, a project estimated to cost $170 million. Underground gas storage is needed within Georgia to ensure that natural gas service continues uninterrupted throughout the entire year even when there are temporary supply disruptions and to allow for regular gas deliveries from its suppliers. Georgia produces very little gas (importing gas from both Russia and Azerbaijan) and currently has no underground gas storage. Because the proposed facility represents approximately 20% of Georgia’s annual gas demand, the stored gas would be a significant “cushion” for periods of interrupted delivery from foreign suppliers.

The Reverse Trade Mission will involve visiting multiple underground gas storage sites in Louisiana and Texas in order to understand the design, engineering and operation of UGS facilities. The delegation will also meet with federal and state regulators, U.S. and multilateral financial institutions and U.S. firms that provide technology, goods and services for the construction and operation of underground gas storage facilities.

A Business Briefing will take place at the Greater Houston Partnership in Houston, TX on Thursday, March 4th.

For more information contact Dale Rice P.E. (darice@mse-env.com) or Jonathan Braswell P.E. (jwbraswell@mse-env.com) of Millennium Science and Engineering by email or by phone at (703) 961-0710 or see the following website, www.mse-ov.com.