JSC “Stroytransgaz” has completed installation of a major underwater river crossing (river Berezina, Republic of Byelorussia) on the linear part of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline at section km 335-586. Installation of this river crossing was carried out by using traditional methods.
Tuesday, June 18, 2002
JSC “Stroytransgaz” has completed installation of a major underwater river crossing (river Berezina, Republic of Byelorussia) on the linear part of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline at section km 335-586. Installation of this river crossing was carried out by using traditional methods.
The installed section of the pipeline was subjected to strength and leak tests by using the stress-test method. Based on the information of the “Zapadtruboprovodstroy” Association of the “Stroytransgaz” Pipeline Construction Department it is planned to carry out drying of the inside surface of the pipeline and to prepare for commissioning the whole section of the gas pipeline from the “Smolenskaya” compressor station to the river of Berezina. This means that the second stage of works on construction of the Yamal-Europe main gas pipeline carried out by “Stroytransgaz” Company is nearing completion. In order to commission the whole section from the “Smolenskaya” compressor station up to the river of Berezina with a total length of 260 km provision has been made for two bypass lines. One line has been prepared for the tie-in with Torjok-Dolina gas pipeline in the vicinity of the town of Smolensk and the second one in the flood land of the Berezina river. During construction of the bypass line at the Berezina river the installation crew encountered serious difficulties because of floating earth. The experts of the Welding and Installation Trust had to rely on their own vast experience, intuition and they had to take a number of nonstandard solutions to execute this work. At present hydrostatic tests of the bypass line 1220 mm in diameter are being carried out and then the line will be dried and connected with the existing Torjok – Minsk – Ivatsevichy gas pipeline system. The Berezina river crossing is a part of the commissioning complex and will be commissioned together with the km 335-586 section of the Yamal – Europe main gas pipeline. The delay of construction works against the planned schedule was due to irregular financing on the part of the investor of works - JSC “Gazprom”. This is one more step ahead made by JSC “Stroytransgaz” with the aim to complete construction of the Yamal – Europe gas pipeline.
