Taking part in the meeting were Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Yaroslav Golko, Member of the Management Committee, Head of the Investment and Construction Department, heads and experts from Gazprom’s specialized structural units and subsidiaries as well as engineering and contracting companies.
The meeting participants noted a high pace of activities on the expansion of gas transmission capacities in Northwestern Russia.
For example, linepipe loopings construction is well underway at the Gryazovets – Vyborg gas pipeline. Construction and installation activities are close to completion at the Volkhovskaya CS, the gas pumping equipment is being prepared for commissioning. Startup operations are underway at the Elizavetinskaya and Babaevskaya CSs.
Further, 346.8 kilometers of the Pochinki – Gryazovets linear part have been welded and trenched since early 2011. Taking into account the 300 kilometers built last year, this means that almost 100 per cent of the gas pipeline length is completed. Testing of 70 per cent of block valve stations has been performed, and hydraulic testing of constructed gas pipeline sections is underway.
The reason why this news is so important (to the people or Europe, at least) is that Gazprom is taking large-scale efforts to develop the Russian Gas Transmission System, diversify gas export routes and build up gas production capacities. Expansion in the northwest of Russia is seen as significant as this will contribute to the timely delivery of natural gas into the Nord Stream pipeline.
