The 177 km Dzhubga – Lazarevskoye – Sochi Pipeline is part of the infrastructure being developed by the Russian Government in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics, and is intended to reduce the energy deficiency on the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea. When complete, its transport capacity of
3.8 billion cubic metres per annum (Bcm/a) will ensure gas supply to Olympic venues in the mountain area of Sochi, as well as the many resorts operating in the region.
A large component of the 530 mm diameter pipeline will be offshore, with a 159.9 km section located in the Black Sea approximately 4.5 km from the Dzhubga to Sochi coastline. Landfalls for the pipeline are located in the vicinity of Dzhubga, Novomikhailovka, Tuapse and Kudepsta.
Gazprom will own and operate the pipeline, while Stroygazmontazh has been contracted for construction. Construction work on the Dzhubga – Lazarevskoye – Sochi Pipeline began in September 2009, and is scheduled for completion in June 2010. The construction process has required detailed planning and considerable technical expertise, as the route traverses difficult and varied terrain.
Article continues below…HDD safeguards Black Sea coast
On land, the pipeline must negotiate large changes in elevation and steep rock formations. Accordingly, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has been used to install the pipeline in these areas.
In addition, the Black Sea coast is part of the Sochi National Park and one of the most carefully conserved ecosystems in Russia. To avoid harming local wildlife,
pipeline installation was scheduled to take into account the life cycle of native fauna. HDD was used to install the shore approaches near Tuapse and Kudepsta, further minimising disruption to this fragile coastal environment. According to a Gazprom spokesperson, this is the first time that HDD has been used in a shore approach in Russia.
The use of HDD not only helped preserve the coastal ecosystem, but also allowed the pipe to negotiate the steep coastal cliffs. While ultimately successful, engineers working on this process were forced to use innovation to overcome a serious technical challenge.
A Gazprom spokesperson said “During directional drilling, the construction team faced the problem of mud disappearing into natural cavities or ‘voids’ in the rocks. The team found a way out by filling the voids with a cement-concrete solution. After solidification, drilling was able to continue.”
In addition to HDD, microtunnelling was used to install the pipeline at all river crossings, which offered further environmental protection.
The decision to construct a gas pipeline on the seabed will also reduce the need for construction on industrial, agricultural and forest lands. While making the project more expensive, these various environmental protection measures were considered by Gazprom to be more than worthwhile, and a company spokesperson was able to report that all works were conducted without impacting the surrounding landscape.
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