Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod Gas Pipeline

From Global Energy Monitor
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Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod Gas Pipeline (also known as the Brotherhood Gas Pipeline, West-Siberian Gas Pipeline, and the Trans-Siberian Gas Pipeline) (Russian: Система газопроводов Уренгой - Помары - Ужгород[1]; газопровод "Братство"[2]) is an operating natural gas pipeline delivering gas from Russia to Western Europe via Ukraine.[3]

Location

The pipeline starts at the Urengoy gas field in northwest Siberia and runs southwest across the European part of Russia to Uzhgorod, Ukraine on the Ukrainian/Slovakian border.[4][5] The pipeline crosses the Russian-Ukrainian border in the area of Sudzha gas measuring station, Kursk Oblast, Russia.[6]

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Project Details

History

The contract for the construction of the pipeline was signed in December 1964, and just two and a half years later the first gas was delivered to Czechoslovakia. The pipeline was the first Soviet gas export route. It is now part of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod Central gas transport corridor.[3]

The Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline is a part of the pipeline network also referred to as the "Brotherhood" gas pipeline network. This network includes gas pipelines that deliver gas from the gas fields in Russia to the western border of Ukraine, which is then transported through Slovakia into Western Europe. Besides the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline, this network includes the Torzhok-Smolensk-Mazyr-Dolyna Gas Pipeline, the Soyuz Gas Pipeline, and the Progress Gas Pipeline.[13]

The Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline was built with a design capacity of 32 bcm/y,[3] it started operations in 1983.[14] The pipeline was initially designed to have two parallel segments running together along the same route, but due to issues with a U.S. embargo and sanctions against the pipeline by U.S. President Reagan, only one pipeline segment was completed.[15]

In 1988, the Progress Gas Pipeline was built with a capacity of 26 bcma. In Ukraine, the Progress Gas Pipeline route coincides with the route of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline.[3]

Background

The system of pipelines Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod consists of six pipelines: Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod Gas Pipeline, Urengoy-Center Gas Pipeline I and II, Yamburg-Yelets Gas Pipeline I and II, and Progress Gas Pipeline.

The pipeline is the largest gas Russian transportation route, transiting through Ukraine and running to Slovakia. In Slovakia, the pipeline is split and one branch goes to the Czech Republic. Russian gas transported through the Czech Republic flows in the direction of Waidhaus and Hora Svaté Kateřiny via Uzhgorod, as well as from the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, with Olbernhau and Brandov as entry points. Its second branch goes to Austria. This country plays an important role in the delivery of Russian natural gas to Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. Gas deliveries through this pipeline started in 1967.[3]

In June of 2014 an explosion occurred along the pipeline in the Poltava region of Ukraine. Ukraine's Ministry of the Interior cited sabotage as the cause, but the Ministry of Energy stated that it was a depressurization problem that led the explosion. Poltava's local government claimed to have informed the network operator of the poor condition of the pipeline in their region, but the operator refused to conduct the necessary repairs.[16]

As of 2019, the pipeline was undergoing emergency refurbishment which will cost $3 billion USD over seven years. However, it will not start anytime soon due to lack of financing. The refurbishing is in response to a 2011 analysis, which concluded that the natural gas transportation system of Ukraine was in an inadequate condition due to its poor design and construction, and due to the low or insufficient level of maintenance funding.[16]

On 20 December 2022, an explosion was reported on the segment of the pipeline in Chuvashia. The gas explosion and subsequent fire occurred during scheduled repairs near the village of Yambakhtino, Vurnarsky District. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, as a result of the emergency on the gas pipeline, three gas service workers had died, and one driver had been injured.[17] In February 2023, the operation of the pipeline resumed.[6]

Implications of the Russian invasion

Ukraine will not reopen the Sokhranovka gas transit route (Soyuz gas pipeline) from Russia to Europe until Kyiv obtains full control over its pipeline system, the head of operator GTSOU told Reuters on May 12, 2022 following Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022.[18] Gas transportation through Sudzha GMS is operational.[19][20]

As of August 2023, the pipeline is one of the two Russian export gas pipelines, which continue transporting gas to Europe. In February 2023, the volume of gas delivered via the Sudzha gas measuring station was reported to be around 40-43 mcm/d.[6]

Change of the operator & owner in gas transmission system of Ukraine

In 2019 the personnel of the Branch “Gas TSO of Ukraine” the division of JSC Ukrtransgaz, responsible for natural gas transportation, was transferred to LLC Gas TSO of Ukraine and under the Service Level Agreement concluded between LLC Gas TSO of Ukraine and JSC Ukrtransgaz, LLC Gas TSO of Ukraine provided services covering all types of operation, maintenance and repair works to ensure safe and efficient operation of the main GTS facilities.[21]

In the same year pursuant to Art. 24 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Natural Gas Market”, the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (hereinafter – NEURC) adopted a final decision supporting certification of LLC Gas TSO of Ukraine according to the ISO model, and also issued the license for the right to carry out activities for the transmission of natural gas allowing the company to perform its functions starting with January 1, 2020 (Resolution of 24.12.2019 No.3011).[21]

In 2020 LLC Gas TSO of Ukraine was fully separated from Naftogaz Group and 100% stake in the authorized capital was transferred to the state-owned company JSC Mahistralni Gazoprovody Ukrainy (MGU). JSC MGU owns 100% of the shares of LLC Gas TSO of Ukraine.[21]

Articles and resources

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Система газопроводов Уренгой — Помары — Ужгород". Gazprom Proektirovanie. Retrieved Sep 27, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Транспортировка". Gazprom Export. Retrieved Sep 27, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Transportation, Gazprom, accessed April, 2018
  4. European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (October 2020). "TYNDP 2020 Transmission" (PDF). ENTSOG.eu. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  5. Gazprom (December 31, 2019). "Gazprom Major 2019". Gazprom.org. Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 "Остановленный после взрыва газопровод Уренгой-Помары-Ужгород возобновил работу". neftegaz.ru. February 1, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Key Facts - Transmission System Operator of Ukraine". Transmission System Operator of Ukraine. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Gas TSO of Ukraine". Linkedin. Retrieved 2022-08-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Gazprom insists on using just one specific pipeline". eegas.com. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  10. "Key Facts - Transmission System Operator of Ukraine". Transmission System Operator of Ukraine. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  11. "Gas TSO of Ukraine". Linkedin. Retrieved 2022-08-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. "Газопровод Уренгой - Помары - Ужгород". energybase.ru. Retrieved 2022-08-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Братство (система газопроводів)". Wikipedia. Retrieved Sep 27, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. The Arctic Route for Russian LNG Opens About Energy, May, 09 2018
  15. "Юрий Баталин: «Колоссальная работоспособность и высокая репутация»". Gazprom. Retrieved Sep 27, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. 16.0 16.1 Situation of the Ukrainian natural gas market and transit system KPMG, October 4, 2017
  17. "На газопроводе в Чувашии произошел взрыв. Погибли три человека". Meduza. December 20, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. "Exclusive: Ukraine will not reopen gas route until it controls pipeline system". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  19. "Gazprom's gas flows to Europe via Ukraine stable on Saturday". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  20. "Regarding the technical possibility of transferring transit volumes to GMS "Sudzha" - Transmission System Operator of Ukraine". Transmission System Operator of Ukraine. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Key Facts - Transmission System Operator of Ukraine". Transmission System Operator of Ukraine. Retrieved 2022-08-19.

External articles

Wikipedia also has an article on the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod pipeline. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License].