OREANDA-NEWS. After the 72-hour scheduled shutdown, CPC crude pipeline was put back to operation. During the shutdown the entire scheduled scope of work was successfully completed.

Simultaneously, in all regions along the entire length of the Consortium's pipeline system from Tengiz to Novorossiysk about 30 crews were engaged on the line section, at the PSs and at the MT. The work was carried out both in the Base Business operation and in the Expansion Project.

The work resulted in getting new stations connected to the pipeline system: PS-2, PS-4, PS-5 and PS-8. The 72-hour shutdown of the crude pipeline allowed to get prepared to commission three new tanks - RVSPK-100000 (vertical steel tank with floating roof with the capacity of 100000) at the MT. A large scope of work to improve the reliability of the crude pipeline line section was fulfilled.    

- All operations were fulfilled in accordance with the approved work execution plans - clear-cut aligned coordination of specialists from all teams in Moscow office, CPC Regions and Contractors contributed to that, -  points out Viktor Abmaev, CPC General Manager, Field Operations.

- MT Tank Farm has reached 700 cu m capacity with the commissioning of the new tanks, this additional capacity will ensure the Terminal uninterrupted operation during the stormy weather on the Black Sea - this is essential, - emphasizes Serikkali Murinov, CPC General Manager, Oil Movements and Commerce. - And after commissioning of PS -4 and PS-7 the throughput capacity at the Komsomolskaya - Kropotkin - Marine Terminal will increase and the Consortium's pipeline system capacity will reach 58 M tons per year.

CPC pipeline system is one of the largest investment projects in the energy industry with participation of foreign capital on the CIS territory. The length of the pipeline connecting the oil fields in Western Kazakhstan with the Marine Terminal near Novorossiysk is 1,511 km. CPC Marine Terminal is equipped with single point moorings which allow for safe tanker lifting at a considerable distance from the shore, also when the weather conditions are unfavorable.

The Expansion Project includes rehabilitation of 5 existing and construction of 10 additional pump stations (2 in the Republic of Kazakhstan and 8 in the Russian Federation), six new storage tanks (100,000 cu.m each) in addition to the existing four near Novorossiysk and a third SPM at the CPC Marine Terminal, and also the replacement of an 88 km pipeline section in Kazakhstan with a larger diameter pipe.

The total amount of the Project investments will be USUSD  5.4 billion.

CPC Shareholders: Russian Federation (represented by Transneft - 24% and CPC Company - 7 %) - 31%; Republic of Kazakhstan (represented by KazMunayGaz  - 19% and Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures LLC - 1.75%) - 20.75%; Chevron Caspian Pipeline Consortium Company - 15%, LUKARCO B.V. - 12.5%, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company - 7.5%, Rosneft-Shell Caspian Ventures Limited - 7.5%, BG Overseas Holding Limited - 2%, Eni International N.A. N.V. - 2% и Oryx Caspian Pipeline LLC - 1.75%.