Page 9 - FSUOGM Week 08 2021

FSUOGM PIPELINES & TRANSPORT FSUOGM

Explosion rocks Russian-Kazakh gas pipe

KAZAKHSTAN AN explosion has torn through a pipeline that according to the ministry.
delivers Russian gas to Kazakhstan, forcing Rus- “The damaged gas pipeline is not connected
The incident comes sia to divert supplies to alternative routes, Russia’s with the Ukrainian gas route,” the ministry told
after Russia was forced energy ministry reported on February 23. Reuters in a statement. The Orenburg regional
to briefly halt oil transits The Soyuz pipeline, launched in 1980, government said separately that it was a spur
via Kazakhstan in begins in Russia and crosses into Kazakhstan rather than the main pipeline that had been
mid-January. before returning to Russia and heading to affected.
Ukraine, which it links up with other pipelines Meanwhile, the Kazakh energy ministry
carrying Russian gas to Europe. In a statement reported that supplies from the Orenburg gas
on February 23, Russia’s energy ministry said processing plant had also been suspended. The
an explosion had occurred near the village of Orenburg facility in Russia receives unprocessed
Mukranovo, in the Orenburg region, in the gas from Kazakhstan’s Karachaganak field and
morning. A drop in pipeline pressure was then sends back treated supplies back to the Cen-
detected at the Orenburg-Novopskov pipeline, tral Asian country.
and a section was closed. No one was hurt in The latest incident comes after Russia was
the incident. forced to halt Kazakh oil transits briefly in
Gas transit to Kazakhstan via the pipeline has mid-January via the Atyrau-Samara pipeline,
been suspended, Russian authorities said, and after severe frost led to a power outage at an
supplies have been increased along other routes. oil pumping station in Kazakhstan. Flow was
Reserves have been used to supply customers, restored only 12 hours later, however. ™

Novatek mulls larger Obsk LNG terminal

RUSSIA RUSSIAN gas supplier Novatek is considering mini-train Novatek is preparing to launch at its
expanding the target capacity of its Obsk LNG Yamal LNG plant. This 950,000 tpy train should
Novatek has previously project in the Russian Arctic, company CEO start up “in the coming weeks,” Novatek’s man-
discussed building a Leonid Mikhelson said during a conference call agement said on February 18.
4.8mn tpy plant, but with investors on February 18. A final investment decision (FID) on Obsk
now is considering a Novatek has previously discussed building LNG is still pending. Novatek had hoped to clear
20-25% increase in a three-train plant capable of producing 4.8mn this milestone last year, but delayed the move in
its size. tonnes per year (tpy) of LNG. But Obsk LNG’s light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
maximum capacity could be increased by Novatek CFO Mark Gyetvay said recently that an
20-25%, Mikhelson said. FID would be taken on Obsk LNG this year, and
“We are presently in the front-end engi- that the plant would likely start up in 2024. How-
neering design (FEED) stage of the workload, ever, Mikhelson seemed to suggest otherwise.
and we are now considering the possibility to It will take up to a year and a half to assess
increase the design capacity of the facility,” the Arctic Cascade’s efficiency at the fourth Yamal
CEO explained. “We have always been consist- LNG train, Mikhelson said, and only after that
ent in realising our projects, and we want to be assessment is complete will the company be able
certain that we have considered the right design to decide what capacity Obsk LNG should have.
parameters.” “I think that this line needs to work for a year
Obsk LNG will employ Novatek’s proprie- or a year and a half so that we understand the
tary Arctic Cascade liquefaction technology, economy and further consider scaling issues,” he
which will be used for the first time at the fourth, told investors. ™

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