Optimization of energy production from an underground gas storage reservoir

The aim of this study is to supply the variable gas demand from an undergro und gas storage reservoir during heating season by an optimal selection of production rates. Because of the interaction of many influences, parameters , and previous decisions, determination of production rates becomes so invo lved that the manager can no longer use intuitive judgment. The objective, therefore, is to reach an optimum decision by applying the linear programmi ng method in problem optimization. A candidate gas storage field in the Thrace Basin of Turkey is selected as a case study. The gas reservoir simulator developed provided the raw data f or the formulation of a linear programming model. The solution process invo lves the use of superposition in time and space to develop the constraints for the optimization model. The constraints are based on the physical limit ations of the system. Optimizing the production rates maximized the total a mount of gas produced from the storage field and minimized the makeup gas a ccording to the given constraints.