Your partner in underground gas storage and exploration & production

NAFTA is an international group with extensive experience in natural gas storage and underground facility development in Slovakia. It is also Slovakia’s leader in exploration and production of hydrocarbons. In Europe, NAFTA actively operates gas storage facilities, explores and produces hydrocarbons and participates in renewable energy storage projects. NAFTA provides development, engineering and advisory services for facilities with overall storage capacity of approximately 64 TWh. In addition to Slovakia, NAFTA is present in the Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Austria, and Ukraine.

It has been more than 50 years since we built our first underground gas storage facility. Years of experience in underground gas storage has enabled us to acquire extensive and valuable know-how in one of the technologically most complex fields. The quality of services andour individual approach has earned us the long-time trust of our clients and partners. The fact that we can boast more than thirty storage customers, ranging from utilities to world-known traders and investment banks, is proof that we are on the right track.

NAFTA’s Exploration and Production Division has a central place in our history, as we were present at the birth of the oil and gas industry in the Austro-Hungarian Empire more than 110 years ago. We are also proud of our legacy of constructing and operating underground gas storage facilities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Our organization has gained extensive experience and built a strong team of professionals, including experts on geophysics, geology, drilling, reservoir and petroleum engineering.

Gradual development and expansion of our UGS complex has been under way since 1973 when the conversion of depleted gas fields into storage facilities began. In 2011, we developed the deepest part of the complex – UGS Gajary-Baden.

Since 1973, NAFTA has gained extensive experience in the operating underground gas storages. In addition to running and developing its own storage facilities, NAFTA has been selected as a technical operator and a service provider for the underground gas storage facilities of our partners Pozagas and SPP Storage.

NAFTA applies its expertise in underground gas storage in a number of countries, taking advantage of the emerging technical and commercial synergies. In Germany it operates underground storage facilities at Inzenham-West, Wolfersberg and Breitbrunn/Eggstätt, while in the United Kingdom NAFTA provides technical advisory services to Humbly Grove gas storage. NAFTA continues to seek new prospects for employing its know-how and is ready to expand its storage services further. 

Breitbrunn/Eggstätt, Inzenham-West and Wolfersberg storage facilities are depleted gas fields and hold a total working gas capacity of 1,780 million cubic meters, or 20 TWh. All three facilities store H-gas and commercially fall under the market area Trading Hub Europe. Storage capacity at Inzenham-West is marketed by NAFTA Speicher Inzenham and at the remaining two storage facilities by our partner storage operators – Uniper Energy Storage and Bayernugs. Inzenham-West is connected to the bayernets transport system. The operating center for all three facilities is located at Inzenham-West, while Breitbrunn/Eggstät and Wolfersberg are controlled remotely. For more information visit our website: www.nafta-speicher.de

Today, NAFTA operates and develops technology and services for facilities with more than 64 TWh storage capacity in several European countries, contributing significantly toward secure natural gas supplies.

Pan–European operator with a high level of storage services

STORAGE CAPACITY

• Seasonal storage capacity

Seasonal Storage Capacity is our basic storage product allowing customers to use the storage in a seasonal fashion – injecting gas in summer and withdrawing in winter. Storage Capacity is sold in bundles as small as 10 GWh and it can come with a variety of injectability and deliverability setups, which can be enhanced by our additional services. Minimum daily gas flow is not restricted and you are free to nominate as little as needed. Seasonal Storage Capacity is offered on either firm or interruptible basis.

• Flexible storage capacity

Firm Flexible Storage Capacity represents an advanced storage product that allows you to inject or withdraw gas on any day regardless of the season. Thanks to this flexibility you can multi-cycle your storage and reuse it throughout the year. Customers are free to renominate counter flow and even change the direction of the flow during the day.
 

INDIVIDUAL SERVICES

Customers can adjust the components of their storage product to their specific requirements. With Additional Working Gas Volume, Additional Injection or Withdrawal Rate and Day-Ahead Rates, you can shape your storage capacity 
performance to best serve your needs.

• Extra volume

Additional Working Gas Volume lets you increase your gross storage capacity for a particular storage contract. Purchasing extra volume, however, does not change the initial value of Injection or Withdrawal rate, nor the Injection or Withdrawal curve.

• Extra injection & withdrawal rate

You are able to enhance your Injectability or Deliverability by purchasing additional Injection or Withdrawal rate. Additional rates are offered on firm or interruptible basis.

• Day-ahead rate

Day-Ahead Injection and Withdrawal Rate is an easy-to-use and flexible tool for you to capitalize on price movements or to cover your unexpected demand increase. No order form is required, just over-nominate whatever volume you need. 

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Switch between delivery points or capitalize on your storage capacity on the secondary market. Take advantage of a variety of our supplementary services, available to you at any time.

• Delivery points switching

For injection into or withdrawal from the gas storage facility we use the following delivery points: Virtual Trading Point (AT), eustream (AT & CZ) or domestic Distribution grid (SK). Delivery points can be changed upon your request anytime throughout the year. The switch may be applied to the whole storage capacity, its part or an individual service.

• Parallel use of delivery points

For injection into or withdrawal from the gas storage facility you have an opportunity to use more delivery points at the same time. The service may be applied to the whole storage capacity, its part or an individual service

• Transfer of rights under gas storage agreement

We allow our customers to transfer the exercise of rights arising from their Gas Storage Agreement to a third party. The party to whom these rights are transferred does not become our customer, although we create a new storage account for them. The transfer may cover the whole Storage Capacity or a proportional part of it.

• Transfer of rights and obligations

We allow our customers to transfer their rights and obligations to a third party. The receiving party does become our customer, carrying all rights and obligations arising from the original gas storage agreement. The transfer of rights and obligations may cover the entire storage capacity stipulated in the agreement or a part of it.

• Transfer of gas in storage

Transfer of gas in storage allows you to transfer natural gas from one storage account to another. The transferred volume of gas is considered withdrawn/injected.

Managing gas storage contracts can be complex and time-consuming, which is why NAFTA created a range of solutions designed to make the process easier. We’re committed to providing tailor-made support that helps you grow your storage portfolio.

• Gas-In-Store Financing Support Service

NAFTA customers have the option to temporarily transfer the title to their stored gas to a bank or other financing institution in exchange for more favorable access to capital.

• REMIT Reporting

NAFTA provides REMIT reporting to its clients free of charge. A conclusion of a separate agreement for REMIT reporting is required for access to this service. The agreement will then cover all active Gas Storage Agreements.

• Secondary Capacity Booking Platform

Customers of NAFTA who wish to use one of the additional services and seek a counterparty among other customers are welcome to use our Secondary Capacity Booking Platform. NAFTA will post the announcement on the platform and notify all existing clients of the offer, free of charge.

• Framework agreement

A Framework Agreement makes every additional reservation of storage capacity easy and efficient. For customers, the main advantage of entering into a framework agreement is the ability to contract storage capacity swiftly anytime during the year, even at very small volumes and for very short periods of time.