OREANDA-NEWS. August 11, 2010. Khabarovsk hosted today a meeting dedicated to the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok gas transmission system (GTS) construction. The meeting was moderated by Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee.

Participating in the meeting were Oleg Aksyutin, Member of the Management Committee, Head of the Gas Transportation, Underground Storage and Utilization Department of Gazprom; heads and experts from Gazprom’s specialized structural units and subsidiaries: Gazprom invest Vostok, Mezhregiongaz, Gazprom transgaz Tomsk, Gazprom komplektatsiya and other contracting companies.

Opening the meeting, Alexander Ananenkov highlighted that the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok GTS construction would be a crucial step in the gasification of the entire Far East and make a great contribution into the socio-economic development of the region.

It was noted that the linear part of the GTS was under construction and shut-off valves were being installed. Some 4,000 experts and workers, as well as 1,657 units of heavy machinery are engaged in the GTS construction. By now, over 750 kilometers of the gas pipeline have been welded, trenched and buried. In parallel with the linear part, a main compressor station is being built on the Sakhalin Island, as well as medium-pressure gas laterals are being constructed including a gas lateral from Vladivostok to the Russky Island.

Based on the meeting results, Gazprom’s specialized structural units, subsidiaries and contracting companies were given tasks to assure timely execution of the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok GTS construction project.
Background

The September 2007 Order by the Russian Federation Industry and Energy Ministry approved the Development Program for an integrated gas production, transportation and supply system in Eastern Siberia and the Far East, taking into account potential gas exports to China and other Asia-Pacific countries (Eastern Gas Program). Gazprom was appointed by the Russian Federation Government as the Program execution coordinator.

The Eastern Gas Program provides for prioritized creation and development of the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok GTS to be subsequently connected with a gas pipeline running from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

The GTS construction pursues the objective of developing gas supplies to the Khabarovsk Krai and the Sakhalin Oblast and arranging gas supplies to the Primorsky Krai. The gas trunkline construction was launched in July 2009 its first startup complex will be put into operation in the third quarter of 2011. Simultaneously, the work is underway to supply gas to the Sakhalin Oblast and convert the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk CHPP-1 to natural gas.

The first startup complex of the GTS will be 1,350 kilometers long with the capacity of 6 billion cubic meters per annum. When the nominal capacity is reached, the system will be capable of conveying around 47.2 billion cubic meters of gas including some 30 billion cubic meters from Sakhalin fields.

Natural gas from the Sakhalin Island shelf and Yakutia’s fields will provide the key resource base for the Sakhalin – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok GTS development.