OREANDA-NEWS. August 14, 2007. A serious medium-pressure gas pipeline emergency was localised and eliminated on 12 August thanks to the timely action of emergency crews of OJSC Chelyabinskgorgaz (a subdivision of the Gazeks holding company). The emergency might have resulted in the interruption of gas supplies to enterprises and households in the Metallurgichesky District of Chelyabinsk. The emergency was caused by some unidentified persons, possibly metal hunters, who cut an opening in the gas pipeline where it comes above ground near a bridge across the Miass River in Cherkasskaya Street. Gas coming out the pipe under great pressure must have scared the wrongdoers. If the pipe had caught fire, the after-effects could have been very serious.

Police officers from the Kurchatovsky District Department of Internal Affairs patrolling Cherkasskaya Street smelled gas near the bridge across the Miass River. They called the emergency gas service. The service operator on duty received the alarm signal at 11:43 a.m. 17 minutes later two emergency service crews of Chelyabinskgorgaz arrived at the scene and discovered gas coming out the gas pipeline. Vladimir Fomin, head of the Chelyabinskgorgaz emergency service, said, "Unidentified persons tried to cut the gas pipeline without realising that gas could flare up because of the metal friction. And because this medium-pressure gas pipeline is used to supply gas to enterprises and utility gas control stations in the Metallurgichesky District, it could have been left without this type of fuel in case of a fire."

Emergency gas service mechanics eliminated the gas emission by putting a special bandage on the pipe. The company's emergency service has already started preparatory works to replace the damaged section of the pipe. Chelyabinskgorgaz specialists intend to carry it out without cutting off the gas supply to consumers.