Today in Saint Petersburg Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee held a meeting dedicated to the gas transmission facilities development in Northern and Northwestern Russia.

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 subdivisions and subsidiaries: Gazprom invest Zapad, Yamalgazinvest, Gazprom transgaz Saint Petersburg, Gazprom transgaz Nizhny Novgorod, Gazprom transgaz Ukhta, Giprogaztsentr, Giprospetsgaz, VNIPIgazdobycha, as well as from contracting companies.

The meeting considered the progress in designing and constructing the Pochinki – Gryazovets, the Gryazovets – Vyborg, the SRTO – Torzhok, the Bovanenkovo – Ukhta gas pipelines, as well as expanding the Gryazovets gas transmission hub.

In his opening address Alexander Ananenkov stressed that the gas transmission system development in Northern and Northwestern Russia assumed paramount importance in the context of the Yamal megaproject execution, the Nord Stream gas pipeline construction and the need to enhance the reliability of gas supply to the Northwestern region. The priority should be given to feeding the contracted gas volumes to the Nord Stream gas pipeline starting from September 2011.

The meeting underlined that construction of the Pochinki – Gryazovets, the Gryazovets – Vyborg, the SRTO – Torzhok, the Bovanenkovo – Ukhta gas pipelines, as well as the Gryazovets gas transmission hub expansion were progressing according to schedule. In parallel with laying the linear part, the work is underway to build compressor workshops at the compressor stations (CS) that are part of these gas pipelines.

Special attention was paid at the meeting to timely delivery of the gas pumping equipment and the pipe products required for construction work.

Based on the meeting results, Gazprom’s specialized subdivisions and subsidiaries were given the assignment to timely execute the projects aimed at gas transmission facilities development in the Northern and Northwestern regions.

Prior to the meeting, Gazprom’s delegation had visited the Portovaya CS near Vyborg (Leningrad Oblast), where a briefing was held on the issues of the CS construction.

Background:

Construction of the Pochinki – Gryazovets gas pipeline is aimed at raising the reliability and flexibility of Russia’s Unified Gas Supply System in the Northwestern and Central regions of the country. Initially, the gas pipeline will supply additional gas to the Northwestern region and, inter alia, convey gas to the Nord Stream gas pipeline. Further on, when natural gas deliveries from Yamal are started, the gas pipeline will be switched to reverse flow and gas will be rerouted to the Central region.

The Pochinki – Gryazovets gas pipeline will run across the Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Yaroslavl and Vologda Oblasts. The 1,420-millimeter pipeline will stretch for approximately 650 kilometers and operate at the pressure of 7.4 MPa. Its full throughput capacity will amount to 36 billion cubic meters per annum. The gas pipeline will embrace up to six compressor stations with the total capacity of 580 MW to be put onstream as necessary. The pipeline construction was launched in  September 2007. Some 300 kilometers have been laid so far.

The Gryazovets – Vyborg gas pipeline is intended for ensuring gas deliveries to the Nord Stream gas pipeline and supplying consumers in  Northwestern Russia.

Stretching for more than 900 kilometers, the gas pipeline passes through the Leningrad and Vologda Oblasts of the Russian Federation. By now, over 600 kilometers of the pipeline’s linear part have been put onstream. The linear part is to be completed in late 2010.

The gas pipeline will be commissioned in a stagewise manner starting from 2011. It is  projected to achieve the nominal capacity (55 billion cubic meters of gas per year) by late 2012.

The Gryazovets gas transmission hub ensures natural gas conveyance from the Nadym-Pur-Taz region (Western Siberia) to consumers in Northwestern Russia, as well as gas delivery to the Yamal – Europe gas pipeline. The Gryazovetskaya CS is a key facility of the Gryazovets gas transmission hub. The work is in progress to increase the CS capacity from 264 to 389 MW.

Underway is the Urengoy gas transmission hub expansion and the Northern Tyumen Regions (SRTO) – Torzhok gas trunkline construction in order to assure the withdrawal of additional gas volumes from the Nadym-Pur-Taz region.

The gas pipeline length is 2,200 kilometers, its annual design capacity varies from 20.5 to 28.5 billion cubic meters at different sections. The gas pipeline will comprise 13 CS. Its completion is scheduled for 2011.

In order to deliver gas from the Bovanenkovo field, it is necessary to build a  2,451-kilometer gas transmission system including the new Bovanenkovo – Ukhta gas transmission corridor. The corridor’s length will amount to some 1,100 kilometers, the projected capacity – 140 billion cubic meters per annum. The Bovanenkovo – Ukhta gas trunkline system is scheduled for commissioning in the third quarter of 2012.

The Portovaya CS is located on the Russian coast of the Baltic Sea in the Portovaya Bay. The CS will have the capacity of 366 MW and the working pressure of 220 Ata. Advanced equipment and modern technologies will be used for the CS construction. The station will carry gas 1,200 kilometers via the Nord Stream offshore gas pipeline and no extra compressor stations will be built on the German coast. The first-stage compressor capacities at the Portovaya CS are planned for commissioning in 2011. By late 2012 the CS will reach its projected capacity.