November 2022, Vol. 249, No. 11
Features
Contract Awarded for Construction of 48-Mile Pipeline Near Buenos Aires
By Mauro Nogarin, P&GJ Correspondent, South America
(P&GJ) — The Argentine operator Camuzzi Gas has awarded the Bahisa company a contract to build a 48-mile (72-km) gas pipeline from the city of Trenque Lauquen, west of Buenos Aires, to the city of America.
The new gas pipeline connection will reduce logistical costs associated with gas supply while providing access to the neighboring towns of Carlos Tejedor, Gonzáles Moreno, Berutti and Urdampilleta.
The long-awaited infrastructure in the province of Buenos Aires is expected to generate multiple opportunities for economic development in the region. Compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks currently supply America and its neighboring towns that load gas at a plant in Pehuaj.
The new infrastructure is made up of a 6-inch steel pipeline and a 3.1-mile (5-km) branch of the same diameter, two pressure regulator stations and three line block valves.
The construction stage will last nine months while the operation and maintenance phase of the gas pipeline will be regulated by a contract with a duration of 30 years, which coincides with the useful life for this type of facility.
The selected route will be developed almost entirely parallel to National Route 33 to the East, on the strip intended for services as established by National Roads.
The starting point is south of the Town of Trenque Lauquen. From there, it runs through a rural area and local roads until it reaches Route 33, passing the mentioned town to avoid going through the different urban centers.
It runs entirely along the Route 33 highway until it reaches the entrance to the town of Fortín Olavarría, where it continues along a rural road to avoid the curve of the route and the lagoon. It returns to Route 33 to the first station before entering the town of America.
In accordance with the NAG-108/2009 standard enforced in Argentina, both the supply branch and the main gas pipeline will be made to the specification of API 5L X60, PSL 2, minimum thickness of 5.6 mm, with extruded polyethylene coating with a three-layer system, subgroup G4.
On the gas pipeline section, workers will install the three ANSI 600 Series spherical blocking valves with welding ends, buried, and a pneumatic actuator, power tank and control panel.
Along the gas pipeline there will be a crossing of the Sarmiento Railway, two crossings with the Route 33 highway and a crossing on the RN5 highway.
Camuzzi Gas del Sur S.A. is the largest gas distributor with the biggest coverage area in Argentina. It distributes gas from the southern end of the province of Buenos Aires, to the far south provinces of the country, including Tierra del Fuego, a region where major central power generation and hydrocarbon production facilities are located.
The company serves more than half a million homes in the region and operates over 2,600 miles (4,200 km) of gas pipelines and 6,710 miles (10,800 km) of distribution networks.
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