ESPO-2 slated for launch in last week of Dec - Primorye authorities
VLADIVOSTOK. Dec 17 (Interfax) - The second phase of the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline system is scheduled for launch in the last week of December, the Primorye territory administration reported, citing the regional division for energy, the oil and gas complex and the coal industry.
The construction of ESPO-2 in Primorye is complete, "and now the facility is undergoing precommissioning work," the press release said. In the Primorye territory, the oil pipeline is 447.5 kilometers long.
As reported, OJSC Transneft was planning to launch ESPO-2 in the latter half of December. ESPO-1 was brought online in December 2009.
ESPO is being constructed to transport oil to the Asia-Pacific region market. The system's first stage from Taishet (Irkutsk region) to Skovorodino and the Kozmino oil loading terminal on the Pacific Coast was commissioned at the end of 2009. Oil is to be shipped by railroad from Skovorodino to the port. The second stage involved building a section from Skovorodino to the Pacific Coast and boosting the terminal's capacity. After ESPO-2 is commissioned, the port's capacity will increase from 15 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes.
Next year, Transneft plans to pump 20-21 million tonnes of oil through ESPO.
