Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee visited yesterday a construction site of the Portovaya compressor station (CS) – the starting point for Nord Stream.

He inspected key facilities of the CS and held a meeting on the current issues of construction.

Particular attention was paid to the progress with construction of the facilities ensuring gas treatment and its transmission via the second string of Nord Stream. To date, the main process equipment with the total capacity of 156 MW has been assembled at three gas compressor units, flowlines and power supply systems are currently being installed, and the gas treatment unit throughput is being increased.

Vitaly Markelov drew the meeting attendee's attention to the fact that construction of those facilities had to be completed within the preset deadlines.

“Severe frost that came to Europe has clearly demonstrated the urgency and timeliness of Nord Stream Phase I commissioning. The first string of Nord Stream is already operational, and gas is being supplied to our European consumers via this thoroughfare. Portovaya facilities required to commission the second string of Nord Stream will be built in the third quarter of 2012.”

He visited the Elizavetinskaya CS which was incorporated into the Gryazovets – Vyborg pipeline conveying gas into Nord Stream. Construction of the looping system is carried out on schedule at the CS.

Background

Nord Stream is fed from the Gryazovets – Vyborg gas pipeline. Its length is 900 kilometers and nominal capacity – 55 billion cubic meters of gas. The gas pipeline runs across the Vologda and Leningrad Oblasts. The gas pipeline has been commissioned since 2011 in a phased manner. To date, the linear part (900 kilometers) of the gas pipeline has been built; construction of the looping system (with the total length of 700 kilometers) and the compressor stations is underway.

In the global gas industry the Portovaya CS is a unique facility with the aggregate capacity of 366 MW, the working pressure of 220 atmospheres and the gas transmission distance of 1,200 kilometers. When constructing the compressor station, Gazprom uses state-of-the-art equipment and advanced technologies.