UK gas stocks at record lows as Energy Minister O'Brien whistles valiantly in the dark.

It was a chance for MP's to ask the wimpish, The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Mr. Mike O'Brien) questions yesterday.

Mrs. Ann Cryer (Keighley) (Lab)opened the batting with a shrewd Yorkie, " What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK’s gas storage capacity; and if he will make a statement." [260723]

O Brien was full of a correct but lamentably late catalogue of efforts to build gas storage over the next ten years - when it was blindingly obvious that gas stroage has been static whilst usage soaring - and will constitute 70% of our energy source for electricity by 2012.

Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells) (Con) bowled a fierce boucer " On 20 February this year—two weeks ago—Britain hit a new low, with just four days-worth of gas in storage in the reserve. Does the Minister consider that an acceptable margin for safety?"

O' Brien lamely and uhelpfully remarked "It is not about how many days worth of gas there are. The amount of gas in storage at a given point cannot meaningfully be assessed in terms of days." ... so why does the National Grid publish the figures for short term , medium term and long term gas storage evey day on their website ?

O Brien admitted that As at 3 March 2009, the total volume of gas storage stocks in the UK was no more than 1.2 billion cu m. The UK’s total gas storage capacity is approximately 4.4 billion cu m. (Germany and France never drop below 100 days.)

If you wish to be more informedread Hansardfor the full account of the lamentable state of UK gas stocks .. but better stil, read
UK NAT GAS WINTER 2009, FEBRUARY UPDATE Posted by Rune Likvern on February 20, 2009
More posts by Rune Likvern on U.K. nat gas supplies this winter :

Will UK face a nat gas crisis during this winter (Part 1 of 2)

Will UK face a nat gas crisis during this winter (Part 2 of 2)

See also review of debate at e-politix