History of Geostock in Timeline

Geostock, founded in 1965 and now part of Vinci Construction, is a French engineering company specializing in underground energy storage. The company also operates through subsidiaries located outside of France.

1956: Suez Canal Crisis

The 1956 Suez Canal crisis and the oil shocks prompted main French refiners, with government support, to address geopolitical difficulties, ultimately leading to the formation of Geostock.

September 23, 1965: Formation of Société Française de Stockage Géologique Geostock

On September 23, 1965, French companies BP France and Shell joined forces to establish the "Société Française de Stockage Géologique Geostock" in response to geopolitical challenges. Later, ELF Union and Total also joined the company.

1965: Geostock Founded

In 1965, Geostock, a French engineering company specializing in underground energy storage, was founded and became part of the Vinci Construction group.

1969: Geostock's Activity at Géosel

In 1969, Geostock began operating the Géosel site in Manosque, which is its first salt cavern site. Geostock also took over responsibility for the operation of the storage facility and its pipelines.

1971: Continued Experience at Géogaz

In 1971, Geostock expanded its expertise to Géogaz in Lavéra, a site specializing in mined caverns and LPG storage.

1972: Foundation of Géomines

In 1972, Géomines was established as a diesel storage facility within a former iron ore mine located in May-sur-Orne, near Caen, Normandy.

1975: International Activities Start in Loenhout

In 1975, Geostock began its international activities in Loenhout, designing an aquifer for natural gas storage, marking its first geophysical campaign for natural gas storage in a porous medium.

1977: Opening of the Geovexin site

In 1977, the Geovexin site, a mined-cavity propane storage site, was opened in Gargenville, near Paris. Also, in 1977, Geostock built a mined-cavity propane storage facility at Donges.

1984: Expansion of Géogaz

In 1984, Géogaz expanded its operations to include the storage of commercial and chemical butane in mined caverns.

1986: Opening of Salt Cavern Butane Storage in Morocco

In 1986, Geostock opened a salt cavern butane storage facility in Mohammedia, Morocco, on behalf of SOMAS.

1989: Joint Design of Salt Cavern Storage Facility

In 1989, Geostock and Gaz de France collaborated to design a salt cavern storage facility for natural gas in Manosque, France.

1993: Decommissioning of Géomines

In 1993, the Géomines diesel storage facility, which was located in a former iron ore mine in May-sur-Orne, Normandy, was decommissioned.

1993: Commissioning of the Géométhane site

In 1993, the Géométhane site, a salt cavern storage facility for natural gas in Manosque, France, was commissioned.

1996: Creation of Butagaz

In 1996, Butagaz, a propane storage facility in a mined cavern, was established in Sennecy-le-Grand, France.

1997: Joint Venture with Simecsol

In 1997, Gester, a joint venture with Simecsol, was formed for remediation of polluted soil.

1999: Acquisition of UGS

In 1999, the acquisition of the German company Untergrundspeicher und Geotechnologie Systeme (UGS) doubled Geostock's sales. Underground gas storage became the predominant activity, shifting from underground oil storage.

2011: Vinci Increases Stake in Geostock

In 2011, Vinci acquired the 40% stake held by the Total oil group, increasing its ownership in Geostock to 90%.

2012: Closure of the Geovexin site

In 2012, after 30 years of operation, the Geovexin site in Gargenville, near Paris, was closed.

2013: Addition of Butane Cavity

In 2013, a butane cavity was added to the salt cavern butane storage facility in Mohammedia, Morocco.

2014: Design of Storage Site in Singapore

In 2014, Geostock designed a site in Jurong, Singapore, for the storage of liquid hydrocarbons in mined caverns. This site is still in operation.

January 1, 2021: Launch of the Hystories Project

On January 1, 2021, Geostock initiated the European Hystories project, a scientific research project focused on exploring hydrogen storage in porous media. Funded by the European Union, the project involves public and private stakeholders and aims to develop technical solutions and produce socio-economic analyses.

2021: VINCI Increased its Stake in Geostock to 100%

In 2021, VINCI increased its stake in Geostock to 100%, making it a subsidiary of VINCI Construction Grands Projets.

June 30, 2023: Conclusion of the Hystories Project

On June 30, 2023, the European Hystories project, led by Geostock and focused on hydrogen storage in porous media, concluded. The project ran from January 1, 2021, and was funded by the European Union.