Putin launched the work of three new pipelines in Russia. Mikhail Sayapin: “The Zapolyarye–Purpe oil pipeline is a unique project

Project implementation

The construction of the oil pipeline was supposed to be carried out in two stages: at the first stage - the design and construction of the Purpe - Samotlor oil pipeline; at the second stage - design and construction of the Zapolyarye - Purpe oil pipeline.

The actual construction of the oil pipeline began even before the Government order was signed. Thus, the official start of work was given by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Sechin on March 11, 2010. At the same time, welding of the first pipeline joint in the Nizhnevartovsk region took place.

Construction of the oil pipeline was ahead of schedule. And already on October 25, 2011, not far from Noyabrsk, a ceremony was held to commission the Purpe-Samotlor section.

On March 5, 2012, the second stage of construction of the main oil pipeline began - the first joint of the Zapolyarye-Purpe system was welded. The entire project was planned to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2016. Among the companies that expressed interest in the project were LUKOIL, Gazprom Neft, Gazprom and TNK-BP.

On August 31, 2016, the reception of oil into the Zapolyarye-Purpe pipeline system began. The first oil came from the Pyakyakhinskoye field, which is being developed by PJSC LUKOIL.

On January 18, 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin officially launched the second stage of the Zapolyarye-Purpe oil pipeline. Thus, the operation of the entire main oil pipeline Zapolyarye - Purpe - Samotlor was launched.

Project cost and characteristics

The length of the Purpe - Samotlor main oil pipeline is 429 kilometers, it has a diameter of 1020 mm and a capacity of 25 million tons of oil per year (with the possibility of expanding the capacity to 50 million tons of oil per year). The operation of the oil pipeline is ensured by three oil pumping stations. Total investments at this stage amounted to 44.8 billion rubles (or 55.9 billion rubles in 2010 prices).

The main oil pipeline Zapolyarye - Purpe has a capacity of 45 million tons per year and a length of 488 km. Pipe diameter 1020/820 mm. The operation of the oil pipeline is ensured by two oil pumping stations. Construction of the Zapolyarye-Purpe section cost 237.8 billion rubles. Initially, it was assumed that the oil companies TNK-BP, Gazprom Neft, Severenergia and Lukoil would take part in financing this project. However, the financing scheme was subsequently revised and most of the costs were borne by Transneft. These costs were supposed to be compensated through the tariff policy for pumping oil through these pipelines, as well as through the obligations of oil companies to fill the pipe.

Technological solutions

Almost 80% of the route of the Zapolyarye - Purpe oil pipeline is laid above the ground - on special supports, which eliminates the impact of heat generated from the pipe on permafrost soils. The structure of the supports themselves also has its own characteristics: some of them have fixed bases, some move in one plane, and some can move in all planes. Such technological solutions are determined by the peculiarities of changes in the soil and the pipeline itself under conditions of strong temperature changes. Research and development work related to the construction of the northernmost main oil pipeline in Russia was carried out by the Transneft Research Institute.

In view of low winter temperatures and wind speeds, which often exceed 40 m/sec in places where the oil pipeline runs, as well as the characteristics of northern oil, which is characterized by high viscosity, special oil heating points were created. This makes it easier to transport oil through the pipeline and avoid its solidification.

In the migration areas of reindeer on sections of the Zapolyarye-Purpe-Samotlor oil pipeline, special fencing structures are provided that ensure unhindered passage of deer and prevent their injury, as well as damage to the oil pipeline.

Engineering and technological solutions used in the construction of the oil pipeline are protected by more than 30 international patents.

Notes

1. Russian newspaper, No. 6705 (0) (Russian). rg.ru
2. TASS, "Sergei Novitsky discussed the stages of construction of the Zapolyarye-Purpe infrastructure facilities" (Russian). tass.ru. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
3. Government of the Russian Federation dated April 22, 2010 N 635-r (Russian) (inaccessible link - story) . gov.garant.ru.
4. Vesti.ru, “Construction of a new oil pipeline has begun near Nizhnevartovsk” (Russian). www.vesti.ru. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
5. Tyumen Media, “The first joint of the Purpe - Samotlor oil pipeline has been welded” (Russian) (inaccessible link - story) . tumedia.ru.
6. Rosbalt, “The Arctic - Purpe - Samotlor oil pipeline is being built ahead of schedule” (Russian) (unavailable link). www.rosbalt.ru. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018.
7. Nakanune.ru, “Sergey Shmatko and Sergey Smetanyuk took part in the opening of the Purpe - Samotlor pipeline system in Yamal” (Russian). www.nakanune.ru. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
8. Labor, New “pipe” of the Arctic (Russian). www.trud.ru. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
9. Business newspaper “Vzglyad”, “Construction of the Zapolyarye - Purpe oil pipeline has begun” (undefined) (unavailable link). Retrieved September 21, 2017. Archived July 27, 2015.
10. Interfax (Russian). www.interfax-russia.ru. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
11. RIA Novosti, “Transneft received applications from 3 companies to fill the Arctic Circle-Purpe” (Russian). ria.ru. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
12. Oreanda, “The first oil “passed” along the Zapolyarye-Purpe main oil pipeline” (Russian). www.oreanda.ru. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
13. Official portal of the Administration of the President of Russia (Russian). www.kremlin.ru. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
14. Order of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 22, 2010 N 635-r (Russian). gov.garant.ru. Retrieved January 1, 2019.

The site of the future PS-3 is located three kilometers from the existing Pur-Pe LPDS. The area of ​​the allocated plot is 32 hectares. The station will include 45 main facilities. Oil storage tanks, a booster pumping station, a mud filter, a pressure control unit, a variable-frequency converter, a boiler room, a diesel power plant, a control room with a package transformer substation and an indoor switchgear, closed parking lots for equipment, a service building, a fire extinguishing pumping station, and fire fighting tanks will be built. water reserve, pumping station for domestic and drinking water supply, artillery wells, lightning rods and floodlight masts, automation and fire extinguishing systems, security fencing with a comprehensive perimeter security system, etc. That is, the station will be completely autonomous from the existing Pur-Pe LPDS site.

Currently, the installation of cable racks at the site continues, intended for laying power cables, automation and telemechanics cables, water supply, heating and fire extinguishing pipelines. The builders expect to assemble the main buildings in the summer and close their thermal circuit in order to ensure that work on the interior finishing and installation of internal utilities for the winter period is completed.

Work on the construction of oil storage tanks is also in full swing. At the station it is planned to build four reservoirs with a volume of 20 thousand m3 each, as well as two RVS-5000 m3 for emergency oil discharge. Currently, work has been completed on constructing 4 of the 6 foundations for the tanks. The start of installation of metal structures is scheduled for May; the procedure for admitting a contractor to welding and installation work is currently underway.

Before the onset of frosts, which in Yamal sometimes begin at the end of summer, builders need not only to build tanks, but also to conduct their hydraulic tests. Currently, about 200 people and about 70 pieces of equipment are involved in construction work, but very soon their number will increase significantly. People arrive, change depending on the work being done, and a colossal amount of work is planned for the upcoming warm period. The commissioning of the Pur-Pe-3 pumping station is scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2015.

The Zapolyarye-Purpe oil pipeline will connect the Yamal fields with the Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean" The length of Zapolyarye-Purpe will be 490 kilometers, with a capacity of 45 million tons per year. In January 2014, Transneft President Nikolai Tokarev announced that the company expected to commission the Zapolyarye-Purpe oil pipeline ahead of schedule - in the first quarter of 2016.

Oil pipeline "Purpe-Samotlor"

The first seam of the Purpe-Samotlor oil pipeline was welded on March 11, 2010, and on October 25, 2011, at a ceremony in Noyabrsk, the oil pipeline was put into operation. The route is 430 km long. and with a capacity of 25 million tons per year with the possibility of subsequent expansion to 50 million, it is part of the Zapolyarye-Purpe-Samotlor pipeline system. The oil pipeline connected oil flows from the fields of the middle part Purovsky district Yamal with Russian oil refineries. Transneft's investments amounted to about 55 billion rubles. A little less than half of the route passes within the Purovsky district, starting in Purpa and ending in Noyabrsk. Three oil pumping stations were built in succession on the oil pipeline: oil pumping station “Purpe”, oil pumping station “Vyngapurovskaya” (Noyabrsk), oil pumping station “Samotlor” (city of Nizhnevartovsk).

Oil pipeline "Zapolyarye-Purpe"

Zapolyarye – Purpe – Samotlor is the northernmost Russian oil pipeline with a length of about 900 km. This is the shortest route connecting the fields of the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Yamal with oil refineries in Russia and world markets in the direction of Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean (ESPO).

The Zapolyarye-Purpe oil trunk pipeline is the second stage of the project. Its capacity is 45 million tons per year, its length is 488 km, it is being implemented in several stages from south to north:

Stage I - section from the town of Tarko-Sale to the village of Purpe;

Phase II - section from the village of Novozapolyarny to the town of Tarko-Sale;

The third stage is the section from the Zapolyarye gas pumping station to the village of Novozapolyarny.

Completion of construction is scheduled for 2016. After the oil pipeline is put into operation, over a thousand new jobs will appear in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Oil pipeline facilities have concentrated all the advanced achievements of science in the field of oil pipeline transport. The latest technological and technical solutions, modern equipment, high-quality components and equipment were used during construction. The new highway is designed to provide reliable, efficient, economically and environmentally justifiable transport of hydrocarbon raw materials in conditions of northern latitudes and permafrost soils with minimal impact on the local natural environment: overpass construction is being implemented, and passes are provided on deer paths.

The main difficulty of the project is that the pipe passes through permafrost. Therefore, for the first time in Transneft’s practice, most of the oil pipeline was laid not in the traditional underground way, but above the ground - on special supports. This eliminates the effect of heat from the pipe; oil is heated to 60 ° C at the oil pumping station and on permafrost soils.

Construction of the first and second phase sections was completed in 2013 and 2014. Winter 2014-15 The main forces were concentrated on the construction of the linear part of the third stage of construction. This is 151 km of the main line from GPS No. 1 “Zapolyarye” to PS No. 2 “Korotchaevo”. Welding columns, drilling rigs, pipe layers and a significant part of the builders were pulled there. The entire pipe in this section, with the exception of the floodplain of the Taz River, runs above ground.

Welding of the linear part of the entire pipeline system has been completed in full. At GNPS No. 1 Zapolyarye, the installation of all eight oil storage tanks with a volume of 20 thousand cubic meters has been completed. m each.

Meanwhile, work is also underway on the southern sections of the highway. At the second stage site, the construction of an along-route overhead power line and the installation of a fiber-optic communication line have been completed.

During the construction of the southern sections, northern specifics also made themselves felt. The first stage is 134 km of oil pipeline, of which approximately half goes underground, and the other half above it, because to the north of the village of Purpe there are already islands of frozen and thawed soil.

Along the pipeline route, the Purovskaya taiga is gradually replaced by the Tazovskaya tundra.

One of the most difficult stages of construction was the underwater crossings across the Purpe River and the navigable rivers Pur and Taz. For example, in the Taz floodplain there are many oxbow lakes, lakes and small rivers, which in the spring overflow along with the river itself for many kilometers. Therefore, the total length of the crossing, measured by the distance between the shore gates, was 27 km. Throughout this entire section the pipe runs underground.

The investment project for the construction of an oil pipeline provides for the construction of facilities, including social and transport infrastructure. The main one is the construction of a bridge across the Pur River between Korotchaevo and Urengoy. The opening of the bridge will be a new page in the history of the Tazovsky region, otherwise the oil pipeline facilities, fields and villages of the region will continue to be cut off from the main traffic flows by the obstinate Pur.

Deserves special attention oil pumping station "Purpe", located near the village of the same name. Before implementation investment project“Zapolyarye-Purpe-Samotlor” was a small station on the outskirts of the Noyabrsky Department of Main Oil Pipelines. The station, which was put into operation in 1994, is today in constant development. As part of the investment project, the oil pumping station was significantly expanded and dozens of facilities were built. The station's tank farm has increased several times. Thus, to the existing two oil storage tanks with a volume of 20 thousand m 3 each, five more were added, as well as two RVS-5000 m 3. As a result, the total volume of the tank farm is 150 thousand cubic meters.

As part of the construction, a second oil pumping station with an oil heating point was erected. It is designed to heat oil to a certain temperature. Only after this will hydrocarbon raw materials be supplied to PS-3, the construction of which is being carried out three kilometers from the existing site.

Today, the Purpe pumping station is a modern, rapidly developing LPDS. It is still the northernmost oil pumping station of Sibnefteprovod OJSC. But very soon the main and booster pumps of two oil pumping stations will start operating: the Korotchaevo oil pumping station and the main oil pumping station (GNPS) No. 1 Zapolyarye, located beyond the Arctic Circle.

Product pipeline “Purovsky ZPK-Noyabrsk-Pyt-Yakh-Tobolsk”

Construction of the product pipeline started in 2012 at the Noyabrskaya loading railway overpass, and it was then that the ceremonial joining of pipes took place as part of the planned construction.

The length of the product pipeline is 1,100 kilometers, investments are 63 billion rubles. The throughput capacity of the product pipeline in the section from the Purovsky Plant to the loading rack in Noyabrsk is 4 million tons. per year, in the section from Noyabrsk to Pyt-Yakh - about 5.5 million tons. per year, and in the Pyt-Yakh-Tobolsk section - 8 million tons. in year. In addition, the new product pipeline is duplicated by the previously existing networks of Yamal and Yugra. Its introduction allowed the company to completely abandon the use of Gazprom networks when transporting natural gas liquids, a product of APG processing. The project was completed in August 2014 in Tobolsk.

Bovanenkovo-Ukhta gas pipeline

The decision to build a gas pipeline 1100 km long. and a capacity of 140 billion m³ for transporting gas from Bovanenkovskoye and other fields of the Yamal Peninsula was accepted in October 2006, construction began in August 2008. The first stage (the first line of the gas pipeline) was put into operation in October 2012. The construction of the main gas pipeline system is planned to be fully completed in 2016.

Oil terminal "Mys Kamenny"

In September 2015, Gazprom Neft completed the installation of a loading terminal structure in the waters of the Gulf of Ob near the village of Cape Kamenny on the Yamal Peninsula. The terminal is designed for year-round loading of oil from the Novoportovskoye oil and gas condensate field into tankers. To ensure the operation of the Arctic terminal on the shore of the Ob Bay, accompanying infrastructure for oil shipment was built: underwater and onshore oil pipelines more than 10.5 km long, a tank farm, pumping stations. The total height of the terminal exceeds 80 m, and the maximum capacity for transshipment of raw materials will be more than 8.5 million tons per year.

Northern Optical Flow

The Northern Optical Stream is a backbone communication line stretching 3.5 thousand kilometers from Yekaterinburg through Nyagan, Khanty-Mansiysk, Surgut, Noyabrsk, New Urengoy to Salekhard, its cost amounted to more than 10 billion rubles. The total length of optical communication lines operating in the Northern Optical Stream system is 14,699 km. More than 3.5 million subscribers receive communication services thanks to the Northern Optical Stream.

The line's builders had to work in the taiga, in wetlands, and in the extreme natural conditions of the Far North. Particularly difficult was the construction of the line in permafrost conditions. The builders of the highway overcame hundreds of natural and man-made obstacles: 347 large and small rivers, 793 roads, 79 railways, 657 oil and gas pipelines. Construction was carried out in stages from 2000 to April 15, 2014.

Power transmission line "Nadym-Salekhard"

A high-voltage line with a voltage of 220 kV will connect Salekhard with the centralized energy system and ensure reliable power supply to the Yamal capital. The starting point of the overhead line route is the existing 220 kV Nadym substation, and the final point is the projected 220/110/6 kV Salekhard substation. The cost of power lines is 17.8 billion rubles.

P.S. In 1948, on the outskirts of Tyumen, the team of master B. Melik-Karamov drilled the first exploratory well. Its depth was only 2000 meters and although nothing but mineral water, then nothing was found; geological exploration in the young region continued. On September 21, 1953, exploration work was crowned with success, the first gusher erupted from the P-1 well in the Ugra village of Berezovo, and it was from that moment that the history of Tyumen oil began. Today, more than 60 years later, one can only admire the enthusiasm and heroism of geologists and pioneers who defended the industrial future of the region and did not allow the north of Tyumen to be flooded with the waters of the Obskaya hydroelectric station. Could a simple man in the middle of the last century imagine that the rails would run from Tyumen to the North for more than one and a half thousand kilometers and reach the Arctic Ocean. The idea that dozens of cities would grow in the taiga and swamps, and that there would be a huge port on the Arctic coast seemed like a fairy tale. The wildest dreams of the past have now been translated into reality, and the titanic work and enthusiasm of the people made it possible to write the illumination of the Tyumen north in the history of the state as a separate chapter...

Arctic vector

Investment project for the construction of the Zapolyarye – Purpe pipeline system in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is actually reaching the finish line. Oil transportation through the pipeline will begin in the fall of 2016. A distinctive feature of this main oil pipeline from those already in operation is the construction method: a significant part of the pipe is laid above the ground on special supports. Mikhail Sayapin, Deputy General Director, Director of the Construction Directorate for the investment project “TS Zapolyarye-Purpe” of Transneft-Siberia JSC, told us about the uniqueness and pace of implementation of the project.

– Mikhail Vasilyevich, on what main tasks are the efforts of the Directorate for the construction of the investment project and the builders focused? this moment?

– I would like to note that the linear part of the Zapolyarye – Purpe oil pipeline has been fully constructed and tested for strength. The end point of the pipeline is also ready for operation - the Pur-Pe-3 oil pumping station. Construction is nearing completion
and commissioning work on
oil pumping stations No. 1 and 2, oil heating points.

In April of this year, we began filling the pipeline with oil. This process is currently ongoing. We have already filled the first and second stages of the linear part from the Pur-Pe-3 pumping station to the intermediate pumping station No. 2 with oil. Partially the NPS-2 technology is also completed, currently underway preparatory work the second stage of filling the station's tank farm with oil. After this, we will begin filling the linear part of the third stage of the oil pipeline. The next stage is filling the main oil pumping station No. 1.

Filling is a critical moment, ensuring 100% readiness of the entire pipeline infrastructure. We prepared thoroughly for this stage: we carried out all the comprehensive checks, tests, and diagnostics. In addition to the fact that we monitored welding work throughout the entire linear part: radiographic, ultrasonic, we also separately checked sections highest category– these are underwater crossings, intersections with cars and railways, where additional double control of all joints was carried out. The passage of instruments gave us complete information on the technological state of the pipe and confirmed the quality of the work. The operation of linear equipment was also checked. With the help of automated control systems and telemechanics, we already have the ability to automatically control valves and monitor all pipeline parameters.

– What is unique about the Zapolyarye – Purpe oil pipeline?

– A similar pipeline operates in Alaska. We took a lot of things from there. We saw the pipeline working on frozen soils. The need for their thermal stabilization was clearly understood. In Tyumen, this technology is offered by the Fundamentstroyarkos company. They have extensive experience in the production of thermal stabilizers. Without thermal stabilization, the bearing capacity of Arctic soils is reduced to almost zero. At above-zero temperatures they turn not even into a swamp, but into mush. In addition, our pipeline will be “hot”. Yamal oil has a high viscosity, solidifies at temperatures below +14 degrees Celsius, and in order to pump it, it needs to be heated to +60. For this purpose, heating points have been built on the pipeline. There are eight of them on our route. And in order to prevent the permafrost soil from thawing, we lift the pipe onto supports above the ground and pack it in thermal insulation.

When we started work in 2011-2012, we had an experimental site where we tested all the technologies necessary for the construction of the pipeline. A lot had to start from scratch. For example, there were no supports that were designed for use in arctic conditions using thermal stabilization. They were developed in scientific institute Transneft company conducted tests in real conditions. There was no ready-made solutions on the use of pipeline supports. When oil flows through a pipe, the pipeline moves slightly. Therefore, at the construction stage we had to take this feature into account, so that during operation it would be ensured safe work highways. We used three types of supports: fixed, which stabilizes and holds the pipeline, longitudinally movable and freely movable supports in order to operate the pipe in conditions of temperature fluctuations. Also, compensators are installed every 500 meters of the external oil pipeline.

Using the technology of thermal stabilization of soils, oil pumping stations were built - the main one and oil pumping station-2, along the route power lines, communication masts, chambers for receiving and launching cleaning and diagnostic equipment, and oil heating points.

At the experimental site we also worked out welding technology. Welders know how to weld below, on the ground, using automatic welding. But here the pipe must be built above the ground. We explored different options: a return to manual welding - but this was a loss in time and quality, we welded the pipe in sections and laid it on supports, and developed special platforms for welders to work at heights. As a result, we came to the point that we learned to work at height with automatic welding systems. And now, probably, no one except us can do this.

– Mikhail Vasilyevich, what main difficulties – climatic, geological, infrastructural, etc. – did the Directorate’s employees and builders encounter?

– What is the main difficulty of construction in Yamal? All soils are icy. In any soil, at best, there is 10% ice content. It happens up to 40%. In winter it is unnoticeable. They lay down the soil, compact it, and build something on it. Spring has come, you can’t get anywhere: all the soil has melted. There is another bad property of such soil - minimal filtration. That is, water does not pass through it. It's like sour cream. And it is impossible to build anything on such soil - no roads, no normal sites. The solution was hydraulic sand. And this is a problem again, but a different one. With the winds that blow on Yamal, this is a constant weathering of sand. You fly in a helicopter and see: the tundra is covered with sand. And this causes complaints from local residents. Sand settles on moss. Deer use this moss to wear down their teeth. So it's not that simple. You need to secure the sand with something. How? They began to use biomats, a kind of rolled lawn.

– How did the contractors, those teams that were involved in the construction of the pipeline, perform? Was there a lot of trouble, or were you in a state of comfort?

– If you have complete comfort with the contractors, it means you are building something wrong. In fact, you are always in a friendly fight with contractors: who will win? For them to make money, but for you it is important to save money and maintain quality. Quality is our top priority. And our construction control is carried out very strictly and continuously. At JSC AK Transneft, such high level quality checks of both construction and installation work and supplied materials, so that we have repeatedly identified manufacturing defects in pipes. We had to return the products back to the factory. We can rightfully be proud of the quality control of the work carried out. It is not for nothing that AK Transneft JSC declared 2016 the Year of Quality in Construction.

– Were local manufacturers involved in the project? Is it possible to talk about their role in the process of import substitution?

- Undoubtedly. This is Fundamentstroyarkos, the Sibpromkomplekt pipe insulation plant. For Chelyabinsk Konar, our order for the production of metal structures was simply a gift of fate - the plant received additional resources for the development and diversification of production. Today, on its basis, a plant for the production of main valves has been launched, and this is a completely different level.

– Is it possible to compare this project in terms of design complexity, construction conditions and future operation with such a project as the Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline system?

– At ESPO, I supervised the construction of the section from km 1941 (Tuolba River) to Skovorodino. There were no roads there at all, but I still understood that I was on the mainland. But in Yamal it’s different – ​​there’s a white milky void in all directions, you get lost in reality. Of course, the Zapolyarye-Purpe highway is more complicated both in terms of construction and operation. This is clear. The very composition of the transported oil poses serious challenges for oil pipeline operators and places a very great responsibility on them.

– Mikhail Vasilyevich, with what expectations did you start this project? Did you learn a lot for yourself by participating in its implementation?

– At the end of 2011, we just completed the construction of the Purpe – Samotlor oil trunk pipeline. They had not yet had time to wash the mud from their boots, and they had already begun the construction of the Zapolyarye-Purpe highway. It was difficult. I had to learn a lot. There were doubts and worries. But from the very beginning we knew for sure that we would build the highway within the time limits established by the Government. Russian Federation deadlines. We had to develop and test new construction technologies, including pile driving. At first, they drove 4-5 piles per day and were happy. And then we did the math and saw: if we work at this pace, then our grandchildren will complete the construction of the highway. But we quickly learned, and after a few months we reached a daily step of 150 piles. We learned how to weld pipes using automatic systems at altitude. We learned how to build oil tanks on a pile foundation almost two meters above ground level. We learned a lot during the implementation of this project, and our contractors probably gained even more experience.

– How can you now evaluate the amount of work implemented?

– When a thing is made with high quality, it always looks beautiful. As a builder, looking at an object, I can immediately determine how it was built: good or bad. Our highway has not yet been put into operation, but it is already clear that it was built with the proper quality. Soon, in the fourth quarter of 2016, when the oil pipeline is put into operation, we will see the results of our five-year work in real conditions.

Radoslav VASILIEV

We would like to dedicate this article to one of the important modern Russian strategic sites. This is the Zapolyarye - Purpe oil pipeline. Let's consider it specifications, construction history, opportunities and find out Interesting Facts.

What is this?

"Zapolyarye - Purpe" is the northernmost main oil pipeline in our country, the construction and operation of which is the prerogative of Transneft.

The general system is “Zapolyarye - Purpe - Samotlor” (about 900 km in total). Its task: to connect the oil-rich regions of Yakutia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory with southern Siberia, as well as with another landmark oil pipeline - ESPO (Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean).

Construction cost 237.8 billion rubles. Transneft assumed the main expenses.

For Russian specialists, this oil pipeline is the first experience in the design and construction of such a facility in the permafrost conditions of the Far North. Used holding and practice foreign colleagues- in particular, during the construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. All engineering and technological solutions used during construction are protected by more than 30 international patents.

Let's present a selection of interesting facts about the object:

• The length of the linear part is 488 km. Of these, 170 km are beyond the Arctic Circle.
• The oil pipeline's throughput capacity is estimated at 45 million tons of oil annually!
• The facility will provide employment opportunities for 1,500 citizens.
• The resource potential of the Zapolyarye - Purpe oil pipeline is estimated at 2 billion tons of oil.
• In 2017, the volume of tax revenues from this facility to all levels of the Russian budget will amount to 3 billion rubles.
• 8 thousand people were involved in the construction of the northernmost oil pipeline.

Natural conditions, climate

It must be said that the entire route “Zapolyarye - Purpe” runs through an area with a specific climate:

• The temperature here, depending on the season, can vary from +34°C to -56°C.
• Wind gusts reach 40 m/sec.
• The oil pipeline in many places coincides with reindeer migration areas. Therefore, special crossings were built for animals.

Project implementation

Let's follow the chronology from the idea to the launch of "Polar - Purpe":

• 04/22/2010 Prime Minister V.V. Putin signed an order to begin construction of this main oil pipeline. All work must take place in two stages: design and construction of “Purpe - Samotlor”, and then design and construction of “Zapolyarye - Purpe”.
• The official start was given a little earlier - 03/11/2010, bringing the launch of “Zapolyarye - Purpe” closer.
• Construction was carried out somewhat ahead of schedule. Already on October 25, 2011, the “Purpe - Samotlor” section was put into operation.
• On March 5, 2012, the implementation of the second part of the project - “Polar Region - Purpe” - started.
• On August 31, 2016, oil began to be received into the new pipeline system from the Pyakyakhinskoye field (developer - Lukoil).
• On January 18, 2017, Vladimir Putin solemnly launched the 2nd stage of the Zapolyarye - Purpe oil pipeline. And this meant the start of operation of the entire trunk system.

The first stage of the oil pipeline

Let's get to know technological features object. The Zapolyarye - Purpe oil pipeline consists of three stages.

The first runs from the Purpe pumping station to the 134th km of the linear part. It includes three underwater crossings across the rivers Purpe, Tydeotta, Yagenetta. Also on the territory of the Purovsky district of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, within this line, three oil heating points have been installed. This is required by the special properties of black gold from northern deposits. At the points, transported viscous raw materials will be heated to +60 °C. In addition, the pipes are protected by a special thermal insulation layer, which does not release heat from the inside and does not allow cold to penetrate from the outside.

80% of the entire route of the oil pipeline runs on special supports. This is necessary in order to exclude the impact of heat from the pumped fossil on permafrost soils. The supports themselves are unique - some of them are stationary, some can move in one plane, and some can move in different planes. This is necessary in conditions of changes in the structure of the soil and the pipeline itself due to the effects of temperature changes.

Second stage of the oil pipeline

It stretches from the 358th kilometer to the Yamal oil pumping station No. 2, which has a tank farm. The latter is located beyond the Arctic Circle.

Some characteristics of this stage of the Zapolyarye - Purpe oil pipeline:

• The linear part is 202 km.
• Two underwater crossings - in the area of ​​the Yamsovey and Pur rivers.
• Three oil heating points are located on the territory of the Tazovsky and Purovsky districts of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Usually, for travel along the route near the oil pipeline, a road is built from logs. However, in the case of the Zapolyarye - Purpe pipeline, this was unrealistic: there is no forest nearby, and such a pipeline would easily be washed away by floods, turning the area into a complete swamp.

The builders found their solution: the use of special soil modules. This is the name given to blocks of woven material into which soil is poured. After this they are connected to each other. You can move freely along this road at any time of the year.

The construction of the line, let us remind you once again, was carried out in winter. Only during this period is it possible to deliver machinery, materials, equipment to the tundra zone, as well as to carry out the work itself. They move here only on winter roads - roads frozen in a special way, as well as on ice, which has turned into local reservoirs.

The third stage of the oil pipeline

This part of the oil pipeline runs from the Yamal station to the main oil pumping station Zapolyarye, which is located 170 km beyond the Arctic Circle. This part of the oil pipeline is 152 km long.

Some characteristics of the third stage:

• One crossing is 26 km long. Constructed using directional drilling method.
• Two oil heating points on the territory of the Tazovsky district of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

As you noticed, the oil pipeline overcomes many water barriers - from small rivers to navigable arteries. The most serious problem for builders was the river. Taz. To overcome it, one of the largest underground passages with a total length of 28 km was built. This is exactly the width of the Taz during floods.

Having studied the features of both the entire area and the river, experts chose an environmentally friendly method of laying pipes. A well was drilled under the bottom of the reservoir, through which a pipe was pulled in a special protective cover. The work was carried out from both banks of the Taz towards each other - powerful drilling rigs took part in it.

This year, 2017, the launch of the Zapolyarye - Purpe oil pipeline took place.

Now we can say with confidence that this is a unique facility both in terms of design developments and work of builders, and in its strategic characteristics.