Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean oil pipeline

Stroytransgaz has participated in construction of the Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean oil pipeline since 2006. The ESPO is the first pipeline for transporting Russian hydrocarbon resources in the direction of the Asia-Pacific Region.

Of the nearly 2,700 kilometers in the first stage of the main pipeline’s construction, Stroytransgaz has already completed the full complex of construction work on five sections whose lengths total 405 kilometers with diameters of 1,067 millimeters and 1,220 millimeters. As general contractor, Stroytransgaz constructs all objects at the Skovorodino pumping station along the route of the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean main oil pipeline also. The new station is located at the terminus of the first line of the ESPO pipeline system. The Skovorodino facility will comprise 80 buildings and structures including the pumping station, tank farm with six reservoirs each having capacity to store 50,000 m³ of oil and three reservoirs each having capacity to store 5,000 m³, cable racks, fire extinguishing systems, administrative and housing facilities, water supply and sewerage systems, and two 110 kV electric power lines each running 23 kilometers.

In undertaking this work, Stroytransgaz drew on several of its subsidiaries and branches — Belstroytransgaz, Neftegazspetsstroy, Yuzhtruboprovodstroy, Neftegazstroycontrol, Stroytransgaz-Vostok, and the Ufim, Krasnoyarsk, Tynda and Irkutsk branches.

Construction of the ESPO poses a number of obstacles that must be overcome: difficult climatic conditions, land relief with sharply broken ground, many permafrost locations and rocky material, seismic activity of six to nine points on the Richter scale, presence of cryogenic processes, lack of industrial and transportation infrastructure. Moreover, the ESPO is the first oil pipeline on Russian territory tailored for working pressure of 10 MPa. Its pressure requires higher technology to ensure reliability in the facility’s exploitation and necessitates using the newest technology and equipment during construction. 

The remainder of the work is expected to be completed in 2009.

Technology 


  • Use of K60 and K70 steel grade pipe, which have higher exploitation reliability and guaranteed viscoplastic properties in temperatures as low as –60°С (wall thickness of 16 millimeters to 24 millimeters, and with submerged crossings — 22 millimeters to 27.
  • Automatic pipe welding.
  • Application of welding technology using materials developed especially for construction of the ESPO by the world’s leading companies — Lincoln, Kobe Steel, and Beler.
  • 100% control over joint welds using a radiographic method. In places where seams are joined for fittings and tie-ins, an ultrasonic method is used in addition.
  • Construction of submerged crossings using horizontal directional drilling and micro-tunneling.
  • Use of advanced methods for recultivating disturbed lands, facilitating preservation and reclamation of the natural soil layer.