Efficient management of natural gas volumes as well as performance of relevant technical, technological and metrological operations in compliance with normative rules with the purpose to transport gas along the energy corridors and sell it at both local and external markets has been a major mission of Gas Export Department of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). Depending on the season, the Department performs operations on gas injection into underground storages, implements a plan of actions on modernization and reconstruction of main gas pipelines so that to ensure stable and safe supply of gas to the population and other consumers as well as meet increasing gas demand of consumers. The Department consists of the management personnel, Absheron, Astara, Agdash, Agdam, Hajigabul, Siyazan and Gazakh sections of main gas pipelines.
In 2015, Gas Export Department successfully implemented a number of projects in the international field. Meetings with delegations of different countries and well-known international energy analysts were arranged within the framework of SOCAR’s cooperation with the Gas Center of the UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe). Together with the top management of SOCAR, specialists of Gas Export Department took part in the meetings held in the cities of Aktau, Brussels and Geneva, joined in the discussions concerning pricing and tariffs, the changes occurring in the European gas market and provided relevant information about SOCAR’s activity and gas potential of Azerbaijan. The employees of the Department also attended a Gas Congress hosted in Turkmenistan. Presentation of the gas policy of SOCAR arranged at this event gained a high appreciation of the Congress participants. Based on the agreement about exchange and expansion of perspective cooperation, visits were paid to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Commercial operations and reception of natural gas from Shah Deniz project were carried out. Employees of the Department successfully maintain SOCAR’s stances concerning the solution of issues related to these contracts.
The following operations tasked by SOCAR were performed in 2015: acceptance of natural and associated gas passed to SOCAR from Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) and Shah Deniz fields as well as from operating companies (OC), gas export to Georgia, sale of gas to Azneft PU and Azerenerji OJSC, purchase of gas from Azneft PU for its sale to subordinate consumers of Gas Export Department, fulfillment of the agreement about exchange of natural gas signed between Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan in order to meet the gas demand of Nakhchivan AR, provision of gas transportation services for Azneft PU and Azerigaz PU, gas transportation to the oil treatment point “Kurovdag” in accordance with the agreement signed with Salyan Oil (OC), gas transportation towards the gas measuring point “Liquid gas, line 1-2”, acceptance of Russian gas by Gas Export Department within the framework of the gas import agreement signed with the Russian Federation, export of gas by Gas Export Department in accordance with the gas commission contract signed with Azneft PU.
Gas Export Department completed 2015 with high performance indicators. Last year the main gas pipeline system received 14.562 bcm, including 6.332 bcm from AIOC, 0.352 bcm from operating companies and other sources, 7.770 bcm from Azneft PU and 0.108 bcm from the Russian Federation. Received gas volumes were distributed between Azneft PU, Azerenerji OJSC, Azerigaz PU and Georgia. High-pressure gas is transported on a long-term basis (till 2025) to the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Astara compressor station within the framework of the swap agreement in order to meet natural gas demand of Nakhchivan AR. Nakhchivangas PU received 0.267 bcm out of 0.287 bcm transported to the Islamic Republic of Iran last year.
Gas Export Department performs maintenance of main gas pipelines and their branch lines with the length of 3.4 thou. km, 203 gas distribution stations and 7 compressor stations.
31 cathodic protection units, one drainage unit and 546 metering stations have been installed for protection of main gas pipelines from corrosion. Reconstruction and upgrading work was carried out at all gas measuring stations, main gas pipelines and branch lines of the Main Gas Pipelines Sections department in order to ensure safe, sustainable and uninterrupted operation of main gas pipelines of the country. Out-of-date process equipments of 21 gas distributing stations and one gas measuring point underwent reconstruction and modernization in order to conduct a thorough recording of gas sold in 2015. In addition to this, fully automated new modular gas distributing units meeting international standards have been installed at gas distributing stations “Mashtaga”, Mehdiabad”, “5th shelf”, “Mardakan baglari”, “Bulgaria and Ramany” which are managed by “Absheron” Main Gas Pipeline Sections Department. 11 modern odorizing systems fully equipped by automatic control system have been installed at gas distributing stations. Along with automatically controlled odorizing systems, 58 odorizing units of “OQ - 1” type and 110 underground odor capacities produced by pilot plant for cosmic instrument making of the Ministry of Defense Industry have been assembled and commissioned on gas distributing stations of the Main Gas Pipeline Sections Department. Apart from this, a gas pipeline with the length of 5,505m and 720mm in diameter, linked to the functioning system, has been built to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to Shirvan Heat Plant; a 14km long section exposed to corrosion at the section of “Kursangi-Shirvan Gas Distributing Station” gas pipeline has been replaced by a pipeline 530mm in diameter at the expense of own resources; a 1,600m long section (530mm in diameter) of “Duvanny-Shirvan Gas Distributing Station” main gas pipeline has been reconstructed at the expense of own funds in order to improve gas supply of population; pipelines with the length of 34,000m have been laid and linked to the system I and II within the framework of reconstruction of the 0-210km section of the main gas pipeline Gazimahammad-Gazakh (I line) 1020mm in diameter; a 2074 km long section of the Goychay-Ujar main gas pipeline 530mm in diameter has been repaired and commissioned; a 24,750m long section of Yevlakh-Sheki-Balakan main gas pipeline 325mm in diameter has been repaired and commissioned; a 13,083km long section of Yevlakh-Nakhchivan main gas pipeline 720mm in diameter has been replaced with a pipeline 325mm in diameter and repaired; a 10,981m long section of Azadkend-Imishli main gas pipeline 530mm in diameter has been repaired and commissioned; branch section of GDS Goranboy with a total length of 5,100m and 325mm in diameter has been repaired; operations on 7 out of 16 river unsafe crossing points of Gazimahammad-Gazakh main gas pipeline (lines I and II) have been completed in Ganja-Gazakh zone and all of these sections have been connected to the main existing system.
A 6,808m long pipeline 530mm in diameter, linked to the existing system and commissioned, has been laid in order to construct a gas pipeline 500mm in diameter, connecting Turkan Gas Distributing Station with Zira-State District Power Station “Severnaya” main gas pipeline of Zira-Digah (Yujnaya) main gas pipeline operated by Absheron Main Gas Pipeline Sections Department.
Construction of new measuring points in Chukhuryurd (43rd km of Agsu-Altiagac main gas pipeline), in Azadkend (174th km of Astara-Gazimahammad main gas pipeline), as well as on Hajigabul-Gazakh main gas pipeline and on the 255th km of Gazimahammad-Gazakh (line I) is at stage of completion.
Construction and assembling operations, carried out in accordance with the working project “Reconstruction of automatic control system of Hajigabul compressor station”, were completed in 2015. New system of automatic control has been assembled on the base of “Mitsubishi Q-Series”, it performs automatic operation of 4 operating gas-transmitting aggregates and includes systems for cooling, detection of ignition, protection from gas leakages and an operational system of the station.
Automatic control system (ACS) is collecting technological parameters of aggregates in the course of the technological process and indicating them on the panel of the universal operator, an integral part of ACS, as well as transmitting this data to the automated workstation in the control room by means of Ethernet. In other words, it ensures transmission to a dispatcher (SCADA). ACS is designed for fulfilling commands of a dispatcher via a panel of aggregate universal operator and APM. This system fully meets the requirements of international standards.
Among successful operations performed last year we can mention the project on reconstruction carried out by Balakhany OC for collection and transfer of the associated low pressure gas which emerges on fields. Construction and assembling operations on this project were completed at the end of the year. 2 compressor units ROW 370 GH, produced by the German company Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH and equipped with control-measuring devices and automatic control system meeting modern requirements, were assembled and commissioned within the framework of the project.
Gas Export Department successfully performs repair operations and productive operation of the assembly module within the CAP ERP system. Seminars and courses are regularly held in order to improve the level of knowledge and qualification of employees.
The Department also performs numerous operations on occupational safety and health. A human factor comes to the forefront on a par with production achievements. An important social principle here is to improve labor conditions of workers and ensure strict observance of safety regulations when performing operations. Therefore, workers’ knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health were examined last year. Implementation of top-level activities was fully completed.
Based on the Azerbaijani legislation, the Department has built its work in compliance with the requirements of international standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. Awareness raising work has been carried out for entire personnel of the head office and employees of Absheron, Agdam and Siyazan Main Gas Pipeline Sections Departments. Employees were informed about the significance of international standards and the order of their application at the enterprise.
38 employees of the company have successfully completed courses in the center of training of human resources of the Department for training, education and certification of SOCAR. They were given relevant certificates. At present, the introduction of ISO 50001 “Energy management system” is successfully running in the Department.
