Sideboom crews work to lower in pipe for GasAndes along the Argentine-Chilean border (Fig. 1).
Rugged terrain and steep elevations challenge stringing and welding crews along GasAndes' right-of-way (Fig. 2).Construction of Gasoducto GasAndes, the 287 mile, 24-in. gas pipeline from La Mora, Argentina, to Santiago, Chile, is well along in advance of its mid-1997 start-up target.
Eastern section
By mid-September, all 194 miles of pipe in Argentina had been welded, lowered, and back filled, according to project manager NOVA Gas International Ltd., Calgary. Special crews were joining the road crossings to the main line to complete the pipeline on the Argentine side (map, OGJ, Apr. 8, p. 28).
Over the South American winter (May, June, July, August), ditching, bending, and welding crews worked their way across the dry pampas in Mendoza province.
Construction in the high country, at altitudes of 1,800-3,700 m (6,000-12,00 ft), was completed just before winter (Fig. 1).
Chile activity
On the Chilean side of the project at the end of September, 38% of the 93 miles of pipeline was complete.
Work in the high country, which had been halted for winter, began again last month. With the onset of spring, welding crews were to move to the border between Argentina and Chile to begin welding in the mountains and progress west towards Santiago (Fig. 2).
By October, crews had completed 28 of the 40 water crossings, including 8 of the 9 difficult crossings of the River Maipo. More than 70 miles of right-of-way have been graded, 35 miles ditched, 26 miles of pipe welded, and 17 miles lowered and backfilled.
NOVA Gas International said construction is being carried out in areas with inclines as steep as 30-40°. Approximately 600 people are working on the Chilean section of GasAndes.
Meanwhile, engineers are working to complete route selection for the 68-mile GasAndes extension to Quillota in Region V, 19 miles from Chile's Pacific coast near Valparaiso.
Construction on the extension will begin when the main GasAndes line is complete in July. Completion of the extension is scheduled for second quarter 1998.
NOVA Gas International projects GasAndes' design delivery capacity at 124 MMcfd in 1997, 212 MMcfd in 2000, and 600 MMcfd in 2007.
Customers will be four new 350 mw, gas-fired power plants as well as an expanded natural-gas distribution system in Santiago.
Cost of the pipeline is estimated at $350 million.
NOVA Gas International's interest is 56.5%. Its partners are Chilgener S.A., Chile's second-largest power-generation company, Metrogas S.A., Santiago's gas-distribution company, and Compania General de Combustibles, a diversified Argentine energy company.
Copyright 1996 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
