OREANDA-NEWS. December 28, 2011. Led by Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, the Company's group of experts made a business trip with a view to monitor construction of the gas transmission facilities needed for Yamal gas delivery into the Unified Gas Supply System of Russia.

The Company's representatives inspected construction sites of the Ukhta – Torzhok gas trunkline system (GTS) and the sites of compressor stations (CS) being built along the Ukhta – Torzhok and SRTO – Torzhok gas trunklines. Gazprom's experts visited a pressure reducing station located between the Bovanenkovo – Ukhta and Ukhta – Torzhok GTS and intended to lower pressure from 120 to 100 Ata. They also looked at the Sosnogorskaya and Nyuksenitskaya CSs under construction.

It was highlighted at the Vologda meeting moderated by Alexander Ananenkov that 646 out of 972 kilometers or more than 66 per cent of the first-stage linepipe of the Ukhta – Torzhok GTS had been welded up. 504 kilometers of the gas pipeline have been trenched and buried. The large-diameter pipes have been procured in full. Construction of the Ukhta – Gryazovets section is to be completed in 2012 simultaneously with the Bovanenkovo – Ukhta GTS commissioning.

Construction and installation operations are underway at six linear compressor stations of the Ukhta – Torzhok GTS: Novonyuksenitskaya, Sosnogorskaya, Novourdomskaya, Novomikunskaya, Novoprivodinskaya and Novoyubileynaya. Preparations are going on at the Novosindorskaya CS. The stations will be put onstream in a stagewise manner between 2012 and 2013. The Sindorskaya, Urdomskaya and Nyuksenitskaya CS of the SRTO – Torzhok gas trunkline are being built to be commissioned in 2012.
Alexander Ananenkov stressed the strategic importance of the ongoing projects highlighting that the Ukhta – Torzhok and SRTO – Torzhok gas pipelines would be involved in gas transmission from the Bovanenkovo field starting from June 2012. At the same time, in parallel with creating a new gas production center in Yamal, Gazprom is shaping a new-generation gas transmission system that will secure extra gas supplies within and beyond Russia.

Based on the meeting results, Gazprom's specialized structural units, subsidiaries and contracting agencies were tasked to ensure timely implementation of the projects.

As part of the trip, Alexey Miller met with Vyacheslav Gaizer, Head of the Komi Republic in Syktyvkar. The parties addressed the cooperation issues placing an emphasis on the joint efforts during construction of gas transmission capacities in the region as part of the Yamal megaproject.
Background

In order to secure transmission of the Yamal gas, a unique, unparalleled in Russia, new-generation gas transmission system is to be created before 2030. Gas from Yamal will be transported via the Yamal – Ukhta and further along the Ukhta – Gryazovets, Gryazovets – Torzhok, Gryazovets – Yaroslavl and Ukhta – Pochinki pipelines. The overall distance of the Yamal gas transmission via the new gas pipelines will exceed 2,500 kilometers.

The SRTO – Torzhok gas pipeline stretches for 2,200 kilometers, its annual design capacity varies from 20.5 to 28.5 billion cubic meters at different sections. At present, 10 out of 13 compressor stations are operational within the gas pipeline. The Ukhta – Torzhok gas trunkline system will be more than 1,300 kilometers long with the annual throughput capacity of 90 billion cubic meters and the working pressure of 100 Ata.