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Transcripción del abstract original del autor: JAPEX has been utilizing three depleted gas fields, in Niigata Prefecture for underground gas storage (UGS) since 1980 in order to execute a long-term well test and deal with seasonal fluctuations of gas demand, in other words, peak-shaving. Though the size of the reservoirs that UGS has been applied is relatively small, valuable experience and lesson have been obtained through the operation of UGS. JAPEX realizes that utilization of gas storage has been becoming the essential requisite tools for coping with seasonal gas demand fluctuation. Background of UGS and knowledge learned from the operation are presented in this report. As reservoir characteristics have been understood through well data at the time of development and production, the operation of UGS gave good consistency with an estimation that had been obtained by a theoretical calculation. There are several gas reservoirs in Niigata, which we have been producing, whose total ultimate gas storage capacity would be more than 20 billion cubic meters. These reservoirs will be able to play an important role of keeping gas supply and demand in balance during operation of gas transportation. Storage also will allow load balancing of daily throughput levels on pipelines and emergency backup in the event of a production failure or the non-delivery of gas. Though order of priority will be given to establishment of the transportation infrastructure, installation and expansion of the gas pipeline network system will create a chance to utilize UGS as an economical solution and huge benefits in greater reliability of supply and gas delivery cost reduction in the gas markets.