115 km of pipes laid into trenches in PT for ESPO pipeline.

VLADIVOSTOK, September 22 (Itar-Tass) - In Russia's Primorsky
(maritime) Territory (PT), 160 kilometres of pipes have been welded
together for the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean " (ESPO) oil trunkline; 115
km of them have been already put into trenches and more than 200 km of the
route prepared for pipelaying, an official at the management office of the
Oil and gas sector of the PT told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.
Work is currently under way in the northernmost areas -- Pozharsky and
Dalnerechensk Districts. The length of the ESPO pipeline in PT will be 547
km. It will run from north to south leading to the operating oil port in
the Kozmino Bay. The construction is involving over 3,200 workers and
1,500 units of machinery.
"The territories, across which the oil trunkline will run, get
prerequisites for economic and social development, new jobs, and the
possibility of establishing new production plants," the official pointed
out.
At the first stage, the carrying capacity of the pipeline
transportation system will be 30 million tonnes of oil a year, and three
oil pumping stations (OPS) will be built. At the second stage, the
carrying capacity will be raised up to 50 million tonnes of oil a year and
another two OPS will be built. Provision is also made for the construction
of infrastructure facilities and communications systems.