Gazprom completes 93% of Power of Siberia pipeline from Kovytka to Chayandinskoye field

MOSCOW. May 17 (Interfax) - Gazprom has built more than 93% of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline section from the Kovykta field to the Chayandinskoye field, the company said in a statement after a meeting between Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Irkutsk Region Governor Igor Kobzev.

As reported earlier, the Kovykta field in the Irkutsk Region, following the Chayandinskoye field in Yakutia, will become the source of gas supplies to China along the Power of Siberia pipeline. Kovykta gas supplies are scheduled to begin in late 2022.

Special attention was paid to the creation of the Irkutsk Gas Production Center. It was noted that the construction of the baseline Kovykta field is progressing as planned. At present Gazprom is continuing to construct production wells, install steel structures and weld pipelines. The construction readiness of the primary comprehensive gas treatment unit (Unit 2) is over 70%. The principal large equipment has already been assembled there, including that which is necessary to stabilize gas condensate. Construction of Unit 3 is in progress.

"Construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline section from the Kovykta to the Chayandinskoye field in Yakutia is in its final stage: approximately 793 kilometers of the linear part - more than 93% of the length, has been welded, laid and backfilled. This includes 98% of the work in the Irkutsk Region," Gazprom said.

Another issue discussed in the meeting was gas supply and the gasification development program for the region for 2021-2025. The document provides for bringing gas networks to consumers in the Zhigalovo District.

"At the moment the parties are working on the possibilities of building gas transmission infrastructure in order to increase the number of gasified districts. Moreover, the company and the region are collecting applications for pre-gasification - bringing network gas to the borders of non-gasified households in already gasified settlements. At present, such an opportunity is available in the Irkutsk Region for consumers in the city of Bratsk", the statement said.

Between 2007 and 2009, Gazprom built a trunk gas pipeline to Bratsk and inter-settlement gas pipelines to the settlements of Zyaba and Gidrostroitel. In September 2021 Gazprom and the Irkutsk Oblast signed a program for regional gas supply and gasification development for the 2021 - 2025 period. Gazprom's investments will amount to 20.6 billion rubles.