Today in Saint Petersburg Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee held a meeting dedicated to increasing the throughput capacity of the gas transmission infrastructure in the country's Northwestern region.

Taking part in the meeting were heads and experts from Gazprom's specialized subdivisions and subsidiaries: Gazprom invest Zapad, Gazprom komplektatsiya, Gazprom transgaz Saint Petersburg, Gazprom transgaz Nizhny Novgorod, Gazprom VNIIGAZ, Giprospetsgaz, Gazprom gazobezopasnost, Yamalgazinvest and contracting agencies.

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

In was noted that all the construction activities were on track. Namely, there has been completed the linear part of the Gryazovets – Vyborg gas pipeline designed for supplying natural gas from the Unified Gas Supply System to the Nord Stream gas pipeline and to consumers of the Northwestern region, nearly 300 kilometers of the Pochinki – Gryazovets gas pipeline have been built and operations on increasing the capacity of the Gryazovets gas transmission hub key facility, the Gryazovetskaya compressor station (CS), are in full swing.

Based on the meeting results, the specialized subdivisions, subsidiaries and contracting agencies were tasked to ensure execution of the projects on gas transmission infrastructure expansion in Northwestern Russia within the prescribed timeframes.

Previously, a group of Gazprom's experts had visited the Portovaya CS construction site located on the Baltic Sea coast near Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast.

At present, the ground-level construction operations including, inter alia, foundations laying are nearing completion at the Portovaya CS. A wharf has been constructed in the Dalnaya Bay to receive heavy cargoes, two gas pumping facilities and eight out of ten gas treatment absorbers have been installed.

The results of the construction site examination were summarized at the meeting held by Alexander Ananenkov at the compressor station premises. It was noted that the CS construction was progressing according to schedule. During the meeting the tasks were given aimed at timely completion of the construction operations at the Portovaya CS.

Background:

Gazprom is taking large-scale actions on developing the Russian gas transmission system (GTS) and diversifying gas export routes in parallel with building up gas production capacities. In this respect, northwestward expansion of the GTS has a particular significance. It is required for secure gas transmission from the Yamal Peninsula where a new gas production center is emerging as well as for timely delivery of natural gas into the Nord Stream gas pipeline and for increasing the reliability of gas supplies to consumers in Northwestern Russia.

The work is currently being performed to expand the Gryazovets gas transmission hub which is a crucial component of the Northern gas transmission corridor. The Gryazovets hub will convey gas to the Nord Stream offshore gas pipeline starting from September 2011. The Gryazovetskaya CS is a key facility of the Gryazovets hub. The work is underway to increase the station capacity from 264 to 389 MW.

Nord Stream will be fed from the Gryazovets – Vyborg gas pipeline. Its length is 900 kilometers and design capacity – 55 billion cubic meters of gas. The gas pipeline runs across the Vologda and the Leningrad Oblasts. Domestically manufactured pipes and new generation shut-off valves are used for the linepipe. The pipeline crossings through large watercourses are built using the horizontal directional drilling and microtunneling techniques, which allowed avoiding an impact on river ecosystems during the gas pipeline construction and operation process. The gas pipeline will be commissioned in a stagewise manner starting from 2011. The gas pipeline is to achieve the projected capacity by late 2012.

The Pochinki – Gryazovets gas pipeline construction is oriented at raising the UGSS reliability and flexibility in the Northwestern and Central regions. At the first stage the pipeline will secure additional gas supplies to the Northwestern region, and, inter alia, convey gas to the Nord Stream gas pipeline. Further on, with first natural gas deliveries from Yamal, 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 approximately 650 kilometers and operate at the pressure of 7.4 MPa. Its full throughput capacity will reach 36 billion cubic meters a year. The pipeline construction was launched in September 2007.

The Ukhta – Torzhok gas trunkline system is designed for the Yamal gas delivery to the Central region. Its will be 1,300 kilometers long with the annual throughput capacity of 90 billion cubic meters and working pressure of 100 Ata.

The Portovaya CS will provide gas transmission via the Nord Stream gas pipeline. It will be a unique gas transmission facility in terms of aggregate capacity (366 MW), working pressure (220 Ata), gas transmission distance (1,200 kilometers) and daily gas dehydration volume (170 million cubic meters). In the course of the station construction Gazprom utilizes novel equipment and cutting-edge technologies.