Verkhnechonskneftegaz Increases Pipeline Reliability

Verkhnechonskneftegaz, an enterprise of Rosneft Oil Company, has increased its field pipeline accident-free performance by 50% in 2020.

Ensuring a safe working environment is an absolute priority for Rosneft. The Company plans to achieve a leading position in accident-free operations and workplace safety for employees and its contractors. In the medium term, Rosneft aims to become one of the first quartile international oil and gas companies in terms of health, safety and environment (HSE) performance. The Company has an integrated HSE management system which complies with the requirements of OHSAS 18001 and is externally audited.

As part of a comprehensive programme to improve the efficiency and safety of pipeline transport, Verkhnechonskneftegaz specialists inspected over 280 km of pipeline, carried out in-line diagnostics of high-pressure gas pipelines, and carried out over 90 operations to clean the inner cavity of the pipe. Non-destructive testing methods were used: ultrasonic thickness measurement, magnetic particle and visual inspection, corrosion aggressiveness of soils and stray current tests.

The Company’s main pipelines are fitted with pig trap stations, which are specialised tools for in-pipe inspections. The tool is submerged in oil and travels a certain distance through the pipeline system with the crude which provides information on its technical condition with an accuracy of up to 97%.

Besides in-pipe diagnostics, external inspections are also carried out using special equipment to identify areas of pipelines with stress and strain conditions. During inspections with both methods, the transport of crude does not stop and the pipeline stays in operation.

The total length of the Verkhnechonskneftegaz pipeline system exceeds 990 km. The Company has not had a single accident in all its operations.

Rosneft
Information Division
August 6, 2021