We want to devote this article to one of the important modern Russian strategic objects. This is the Zapolyarye-Purpe oil pipeline. Consider its technical characteristics, construction history, capabilities and learn interesting facts.
What is it?
Zapolyarye-Purpe is the northernmost trunk oil pipeline in our country, the construction and operation of which is the prerogative of Transneft.
The general system is the Arctic - Purpe - Samotlor (a total of about 900 km). Its task: to connect the regions of Yakutia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory rich in oil fields with oil refineries in southern Siberia, as well as with another iconic pipeline - the ESPO (Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean).
Construction cost 237.8 billion rubles. The main expenses incurred by Transneft.
For Russian specialists, this oil pipeline is the first experience in the design and construction of such an object in the permafrost of the Far North. He used the holding and practice of foreign colleagues - in particular, when laying the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. All engineering and technological solutions used in construction are protected by more than 30 international patents.
Interesting Facts
Imagine a selection of interesting facts about the object:
- The length of the linear part is 488 km. Of these, beyond the Arctic Circle - 170 km.
- The capacity of the pipeline is estimated at 45 million tons of oil annually!
- The facility will provide employment opportunities to 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.
- The construction of the northernmost oil pipeline involved 8 thousand people.
Natural conditions, climate
It must be said that the entire route "Arctic - Purpe" runs through an area with a specific climate:
- The temperature here, depending on the season, can vary from + 34 ° C to -56 ° C.
- Gusts of wind reach 40 m / s.
- The oil pipeline in many places coincides with the places of migration of reindeer. Therefore, special transitions were built for animals.
In order to maintain the ecological balance of the tundra zone and to comply with the requirements of the technological process, the construction of the Zapolyarye-Purpe oil pipeline was carried out only in winter.
Project implementation
Let’s follow the chronology from the idea to the launch of the Arctic Circle - Purpe:
- 04/22/2010 Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin signed an order to begin construction of this main oil pipeline. All work must go through two stages: design and construction of Purpe-Samotlor, and then design and construction of the Polar Circle-Purpe.
- The official start was given a little earlier - 03/11/2010, bringing closer the launch of the Polar - Purpe launch.
- The construction was carried out, slightly ahead of schedule. Already on October 25, 2011, the Purpe-Samotlor section was commissioned.
- March 5, 2012, the implementation of the second part of the project, “Polar Region-Purpe,” began.
- 08/31/2016 began accepting oil into the new pipeline system from the Pyakyakhinskoye field (developed by Lukoil).
- 01/18/2017 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 as a whole.
The first phase of the pipeline
We will get acquainted with the technological features of the facility. The Zapolyarye-Purpe oil pipeline consists of three phases.
The first runs from Purpe PS to the 134th km of the linear part. It includes three underwater crossings over the rivers Purpe, Tydeotta, Jagenetta. Also, on the territory of the Purovsky district of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, three oil heating points are arranged within this line. This is required by the special properties of black gold in the northern deposits. At points transported viscous raw materials will be heated to +60 ° C. In addition, a special heat-insulating layer protects the pipes, which does not release heat from the inside and does not allow the cold to penetrate from the outside.
80% of the entire route the pipeline runs on special supports. This is necessary in order to exclude the effect of heat from the pumped mineral on permafrost soils. The supports themselves are unique - some of them are motionless, part can move in one plane, and part in different. This is necessary in conditions of changing the structure of the soil and the pipeline itself due to the effects of temperature changes.
The second phase of the 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 line of the Zapolyarye-Purpe oil pipeline:
- The linear part is 202 km.
- Two underwater crossings - in the area of the Yamsovei and Pur rivers.
- Three points of oil heating - in the Tazovsky and Purovsky districts of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
Usually, a log road is built for the long-haul passage near the oil pipeline. However, in the case of the Zapolyarye-Purpe pipeline, this was unrealistic: there was no forest nearby, and such a highway would easily be flooded with floods, turning the okrug into a continuous swamp.
Builders have found their solution: the use of special soil modules. So called blocks of woven material, into which soil is poured. After that they are connected among themselves. On this road you can freely move at any time of the year.
The construction of the line, once again, was carried out in the winter. Only during this period it is possible to deliver machinery, materials, equipment to the tundra zone, as well as carry out the work itself. They move here only on winter roads - in a special way on frozen roads, as well as on ice, which was contacted by local reservoirs.
The third phase of the pipeline
This part of the pipeline runs from the Yamal station to the Zapolyarye oil pumping station, which is 170 km beyond the Arctic Circle. This part of the pipeline is 152 km.
Some characteristics of the third stage:
- One crossing over the Taz River 26 km long. Built using directional drilling.
- Two oil heating points on the territory of the Tazovsky district of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District.
As you noticed, the pipeline overcomes many water barriers - from small streams to navigable arteries. The most serious for builders was r. Taz. To overcome it, one of the largest underground passages with a total length of 28 km was built. It is on such a width that the Taz floods in floods.
Having studied the features of the entire region 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. Work was carried out from both sides of the Taz towards each other - powerful rigs took part in them.
In the current year 2017, the launch of the Zapolyarye-Purpe oil pipeline took place.
Now we can say with confidence that this is a unique object both in design and construction work, and in its strategic characteristics.