Natural gas moved through the storage system
The volumes of gas moved through the storage system in 2013 amounted to 18.42 billion cubic metres, an increase of 2.79 billion cubic metres (17.9%) compared with the volumes moved in 2012 (15.63 billion cubic metres). The increase was due mainly to higher withdrawals from storage (+2.30 billion cubic metres; +31.9%) as a result of the temperatures recorded in March and April 2013, which were colder than in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Total storage capacity at 31 December 2013, including strategic storage, was 15.9 billion cubic metres (+0.2 billion cubic metres; +1.3%), of which 9.9 billion cubic metres related to available capacity allocated (10.7 billion cubic metres in thermal year 2012-2013), 1.5 billion cubic metres related to available capacity not yet allocated and 4.5 billion cubic metres related to strategic storage (unchanged compared with thermal year 2012-2013)19.
NATURAL GAS MOVED THROUGH THE STORAGE SYSTEM (BILLIONS OF CUBIC METRES)
Withdrawals of strategic gas reserves from storage in 2010-2011
With Resolution 91/2013/S/gas, published on 7 March 2013, the Electricity and Gas Authority initiated proceedings for the adoption of prescriptive measures against the companies Speia S.p.A. and Stogit S.p.A. in relation to possible anomalies in the management of withdrawals of strategic gas reserves in the 2010-2011 thermal year for storage20.
The proceedings in question resulted from the preliminary investigation launched with Resolutions 282/2012/R/gas and 444/2012/R/gas, with regard to anomalies observed on the balancing market in the period from 1 December 2011 to 23 October 2012, and from the need to carry out an investigation. The purpose of the proceedings is to ascertain the facts concerning withdrawals of strategic gas by Speia during the 2010-2011 thermal year for storage and for the Authority to adopt prescriptive measures to protect one company or the other under combined sanctions, also in derogation of the regulations in force and in order to avoid irregular expense and consequences for end users. The proceedings in question ended with Resolution 463/2013/R/gas, published on 22 October 2013, with which the Electricity and Gas Authority stipulated that it did not have to adopt any provisions with regard to Stogit.
19 On 29 January 2014, the Ministry of Economic Development set the strategic storage volume at 4.62 billion cubic metres for the 2014-2015 contractual storage year (1 April 2014 - 31 March 2015). This was largely in line with the volume set for the 2013-2014 contractual year (4.60 billion cubic metres). The Stogit share of this total was unchanged at 4.5 billion cubic metres.
20 In connection with withdrawals by Speia and other Stogit users of strategic gas that was not subsequently replenished by said users within the time frame provided for by the Storage Code, Stogit has launched a number of actions against the users in question since 2011, including legal proceedings. For further information, see Note 30 “Guarantees, commitments and risks” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.