美国独立地下储气库运营模式与启示——以Youth Gas储气库公司为例

Operation mode of independent underground gas storage in the United States and its enlightenments——A case study of Youth Gas Storage Company

美国独立储气库公司从上世纪末期开始出现,目前已占到联邦能源监管委员会所监管储气库总工作气量的18%左右。Youth Gas储气库公司由州际管道公司与地方燃气公司合资成立,对外提供固定储气、可中断储气和寄存/暂借三种服务,目前签订的长期合同全部为固定储气服务。YGS公司储气服务费率按服务成本法确定,以两部制形式收取,并根据库存气热值变化定期调整。YGS公司通过网络公开招标分配库容,一年以上的固定储气服务老用户拥有优先权,相同价格下可以优先续约。由可中断服务带来的储气库超额收益将全部由固定储气用户按预订量进行分配。独立储气库公司的产生有赖于天然气产业高度市场化,我国储气库经营的政策和市场环境还有待进一步完善,但在条件相对较好的地区可以选取1～2个储气库开展独立运营试点,与城镇燃气企业、地方政府共同探索新型商业模式。

The US independent gas storage company appeared at the end of the last century and currently accounts for about 18% of the total working gas capacity of the US gas storage regulated by FERC. This article uses Youth Gas Storage Company as an example to analyze the operation model of independent gas storage companies. It jointly established by the interstate pipeline company and the public service company, provides firm storage, interruptible storage and park/loan services. The long-term contracts signed at present are all for firm storage services. The YGS gas storage rate is determined by the cost-base method with the two-part system and periodically adjusted according to changes of average thermal content of gas in storage. YGS Company allocates storage capacity through open bidding on the network. The existing users of firm storage service for more than one year have their priority to renew the contract at the same price. The excess revenue of the gas storage brought by the interruptible service will be distributed by all fixed gas storage users according to the booked amount.The research on YGS’s operation mode shows that the independent storage company relies on the high marketization of the natural gas industry. The policy and market environment of China’s storage operation need to be further improved, 1-2 gas storage tanks can be selected to carry out independent pilot operation and jointly explore new business models with urban gas enterprises and local governments in those areas with relatively good conditions.