Anniversary of the welding of the first joint of the Kuyumba – Taishet pipeline

By the construction commencement anniversary, Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean Project Management Center, LLC has completed over two-thirds of the route.

As of today, more than 500 km have been welded on the linear part of the pipeline and more than 430 km of pipes have been laid and backfilled. The total length (excluding backup lines for the underwater crossings) will be 695.2 km, including 506.4 km in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (in the Evenki, Boguchansk and Nizhneingashsky Districts) and 188.8 km in the Irkutsk Region.

Construction is carried out simultaneously on several linear sections. Basic construction and installation operations have been already completed on the south-most section running through the Taishet District of the Irkutsk Region. Pipe welding, laying and backfilling on the other linear sections are ongoing.

The project includes seven underwater crossings. Work on the main lines crossing major water bodies – the rivers of Angara, Chuna and Biryusa (2 trunk line submerged crossings)  - has been already completed. Construction of backup lines for underwater crossings, which are required for safety reasons, including environmental safety, is in full swing.

Most of the pipeline construction and installation operations will be finished in the second quarter of 2015. During the summer, the laid pipeline will undergo hydraulic testing and in-line diagnostic inspection using ultrasound and magnet flux. Further on, it is planned to carry out activities directly related to the commissioning of the facility.

As part of the first startup complex of the pipeline to be completed in 2016, in addition to the linear part, work is carried out in the Evenki District to construct pipe-end oil-pumping station (EPOPS) No. 1 and oil-pumping station (OPS) No. 2 with a total tank storage capacity of 160,000 m3. Besides, it is planned to set up a central repair facility and production logistics base in the Boguchansk District. Two more oil-pumping stations, OPS No. 3 and OPS No. 4, are scheduled to be built in the second stage, which will continue up to 2020.

To provide power supply for the Kuyumba – Taishet pipeline, it is planned to build three distribution substations with a total installed capacity of 25.6 MW and a 326 km long 100kV double-circuit power line. In the first half of 2014, a full range of engineering surveys, including geodesic, archeological, hydrometeorological and other surveys were conducted. At present, design documentation is under review by Glavexpertiza of Russia (Krasnoyarsk), and preparatory work to provide external power supply for EPOPS No. 1, OPS No. 2 and OPS No. 3 is going ahead at full speed.

Construction of the Kuyumba – Taishet pipeline is progressing on schedule as established in the approved investment program. The pipeline will have a capacity of 15 million tons of crude oil a year.