On April 17-21, 2006, the city of Sochi hosted the 16th International Business Meeting “Diagnostics-2006”. The Meeting was co-sponsored by Gazprom and its subsidiary Orgenergogaz. 327 representatives from 107 Russian and foreign organizations participated in its work.

The Meeting was opened by Alexander Ananenkov, Deputy Chairman of Gazprom’s Management Committee.

In opening address he outlined the basic prospects to develop Russia’s gas industry and spoke about Gazprom’s promising projects in the frames of “Russia’s energy strategy for the period up to 2020”, in particular, on the development of the United Gas Transmission System in Russia. Thereupon, the reporter noted that reconstruction of the gas transmission system (GTS) is one of the main tools to raise the level of gas transmission reliability and security. At the same time reconstruction arrangements should be undertaken based only on the knowledge of facility technical state. The system of gas transmission grid diagnostics is developed and successfully operated in Gazprom.

Essential and high-quality progress has been made in inspection methods and technologies.

“In-tube fault finders are worked out and well commissioned with minimum impact on the rate of gas transmission and equipped to detect various faults. The system of automated monitoring of gas pipeline crossings under motor and railroads is developed and tested. Efficiency of helicopter observations improved essentially due to application of up-to-date devices. In-tube robots are begun applied to inspect compressor stations”, underlined Alexander Ananenkov.

Bogdan Budzulyak, Member of Gazprom’s Management Committee, Chairman of Organizing Committee on 16th International Business Meeting “Diagnostics-2006”, has delivered a report at the Meeting.

He noted that at present Gazprom’s volume of in-tube inspection makes up 15-20 thousand km per year. It is optimum today for Russia’s United Gas Transmission System.

Up-to-date devices to be applied in future for the GTS diagnostics were mentioned in the report, including domestic and foreign unmanned aircraft equipped to inspect gas transmission facilities.

“Stable operation of the gas transmission system, reliable gas supply to the Russian and foreign consumers confirm the efficiency of production programs realized in Gazprom in the field of gas transmission, including GTS diagnostics”, underlined the reporter.

The Meeting “Diagnostics – 2006” was conducted in the following sections:

• Diagnostics of long-distance gas transmission pipelines;
• Diagnostics of compressor station equipment and systems, motor gas-filling compressor stations and distribution grids;
• Diagnostics of gas, condensate and oil upstream equipment;
• Production and dispatching support for the United Gas Transmission System diagnostics and repair.

119 reports were delivered within the frame of sections. The Meeting participants discussed questions related to technical state assessment of gas industry facilities, operational stability enhancement of gas transmission systems in Russia and abroad, considered up-to-date and promising technologies and methods to inspect gas facilities based on new generation devices and tools as well as other issues.

According to results of the Meeting the following recommendations were taken to:

• prolong work to improve branch systems of diagnostic maintenance of gas production, transmission, storage, processing and distribution facilities. Realize arrangements to raise reliability of inspection results;
• liven up the work to train specialists in diagnostics maintenance, reconstruction, re-equipment and repair of gas production, transmission, distribution and utilization. Task-oriented personnel training for the CIS and Russian companies should be considered expedient;
• continue to commission up-to-date technologies and methods to inspect regional and distribution gas pipelines;
• broaden the subject-matter of international business meetings by issues related to diagnostics of well and well equipment of production facilities, gas underground storage equipment and pipelines, gas and gas condensate processing facilities.

Reference:

First held in 1991 in the city of Yalta, the International Business Meetings dedicated to the gas industry infrastructure diagnostics are conducted on a yearly basis for top executives and experts of oil and gas companies, researchers and inspection tool developers & producers.

The annual International Business Meetings are primarily targeted at:

• developing the services market, methodologies and equipment for gas industry infrastructure diagnostics;
• colligating the gas industry experience of applying various inspection methods, tools and systems;
• identifying the most promising areas of cooperation when performing diagnostics of gas industry equipment and facilities; developing ties with international counterparts inclusive;
• detecting the origination of gas equipment defects.

Founded back in 1971, Gazprom’s subsidiary Orgenergogaz specializes in pipeline inspection, repair and maintenance. Earlier, the company’s specialists were engaged in designing and commissioning of the pipelines “Soyuz”, “Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod”, Yamal-Europe”, “Blue Stream”, “Zapolyarnoye-Urengoy”, worked at oil and gas industry facilities in Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Poland, Bulgaria and other countries.