Gas pipeline through Ukraine to Europe - scheme and route

The extraction of gas and its use were begun in ancient times. In Russia, the history of the gas industry begins in 1811 thanks to the founder of thermolamps Peter Sobolevsky. Time passed, the industry developed. A lot of deposits were explored, and the question arose about gas transportation to end users. After all, this type of fuel was used not only inside the country, but also was supplied for import to Europe. Since the most profitable was transportation by pipes, a gas pipeline was built across Ukraine.

History of the gas pipeline in Ukraine

Ukraine also developed its own deposits. The first gas pipeline was built in 1924. After that, in 1948, "Dashava-Kiev" was created, later extended to Moscow (in 1951). That is, it was not Ukraine that supplied itself with "blue fuel", but Russia supplied it to the country. After that, gas began to be exported to European countries. Although Ukraine has its own deposits, most of the Russian fuel is used.

Conducting a gas pipeline through Ukraine to Europe

The first transit of fuel took place in 1967. It was then that the gas pipeline to Europe via the Ukraine "Valley - Uzhhorod - Western Border" was launched in the USSR. The Union Republic has become the world's largest transit country. Why was Ukraine chosen for gas export? First of all, because the Unified Gas System was built under the USSR. The second reason was the deterioration of the economic situation in the state - the arms race, investments in the MIC and opposition with China made themselves felt.

In the 1970s, the price of oil and gas in the world market experienced a sharp jump. These were precisely the goods that the USSR could quickly provide, and financial resources could correct the economic situation. And then two variants of transit were proposed: Ukrainian and uniform. The first assumed the route of the gas pipeline through Ukraine, the second - through all the union republics bordering on Europe. Each option had its own supporters, but the group supporting the first draft had more weight in the government of the USSR. They were leaders who either worked for a long time in Ukraine, or came from it - Brezhnev, Chernenko, Shcherbitsky, Tikhonov, Kirilenko. In addition, the republic had considerable weight in the economy of the USSR. As a result, the pipeline route through Ukraine was laid even at the expense of the principle of minimum distance.

Composition of Ukraine's gas transportation system

After the collapse of the USSR, the former Soviet Union became the owner of the largest gas transportation system (GTS). The main flow of supplies passes through the gas pipeline to Europe via Ukraine, which allowed it to dictate certain conditions to the importing countries and Russia.

The transit of gas through a neighboring country is not only the huge length of the main pipes. This is also a lot of meters, storages, compressor stations. All of them fulfill their role in the redistribution and transportation of gas. In order to visually understand how the gas pipeline passes through Ukraine and which transshipment points are involved, it is best to see its scheme. At first glance, it is not difficult, but if you look at it in detail, you can see both the mains and the distribution pipes.

The main components of the main gas pipeline

The gas pipeline through Ukraine passes through many cities and settlements. The main ones contain such important components as compressor stations. The gas pipeline scheme through Ukraine has 72 such points. The GTS also includes 13 storage facilities, of which 12 are actively operated. Also installed meters. There are 12 gas measuring stations on the border with Russia, and 11 GIS on the border with the countries of Europe.

All this equipment and stations are managed by the company Ukrgaztrans and its branches located in Kiev, Lviv, Cherkassy, Prykarpattya and Donbas. The storages into which gas is pumped in Ukraine for further transportation and distribution are located in the West of the country, in Donbass, in the Kiev and Chernigov regions, as well as in Dnepropetrovsk.

If you look at the diagram and see how the gas pipeline runs through Ukraine, you can see that this is not one pipe stretching several thousand kilometers. This is a whole network of branches and connections with the service points.

Transportation of gas to Europe via Ukraine

Since the main gas pipeline through Ukraine for transit was built in the USSR, after the collapse of the country, economic ties remained. To date, gas transit is carried out along the following routes:

• Orenburg - the Western border.
• Urengoy - Pomary - Uzhhorod.
• Yamburg - Western border.
• Torzhok - the Valley.
• The valley is Uzhhorod.

All of them are intertwined or run in parallel on some sites. And if we talk in general about how the gas pipeline passes through Ukraine, we will get two main streams. The first of them is "Urengoy - Pomary - Uzhgorod", which in the country is combined with "Progress". The second is Soyuz, which starts from the Orenburg field and was the main export gas pipeline to the USSR. Strictly speaking, there is not a single exact scheme that would show how the gas pipeline runs through Ukraine. The main export routes are the Soyuz, Friendship, Progress and Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod highways.

Soyuz Gas Pipeline

This Russian gas pipeline through Ukraine was stretched from Orenburg to the western border of the USSR. It was called the "Union". This was the joint construction of allied countries - Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, the GDR and the USSR - in 1975-1976. Through it, gas is transported from the Orenburg field to the countries of Western Europe. Its capacity is 26 billion cubic meters per year.

To understand where the Soyuz gas pipeline passes through Ukraine, it is necessary to consider the map and the scheme. The main cities are Orenburg, Uralsk, Alexandrov Gai, Kremenchuk, Dolyna and Uzhhorod. On the border of Russia and Ukraine, the gas measuring station Pisarevka (the territory of the Russian Federation) is equipped, after which the registered gas moves through the territory of Ukraine.

In addition to the above cities, the highway passes through some more. All of them are equipped with compressor stations, which ensure the normal functioning of the system. These are Novopskov, Borovy, Pervomaiskoye, Matveyevka, Aleksandrovka, Talnoe, Gaisin, Bar, Gusyatin, Bogorodchany, Khust. Through gas measuring stations "Berehovo", "Tekovo" and "Uzhgorod" fuel is supplied to Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. In the city of Bar, the highway connects with the streams "Urengoy - Pomary - Uzhgorod" and "Progress".

The gas pipeline "Urengoy - Pomary - Uzhgorod"

In fact, this is not a single gas pipeline, but a whole stream of highways. It also includes the Progress gas pipeline. The construction was started from the Urengoy field. It was built jointly with the banks of Germany, Japan, France - they issued a loan for the purchase of the necessary components. The project was developed in JSC "Yuzhniigiprogaz" (Donetsk). Pipes for highways were purchased at the Khartsyzsk Pipe Plant, pipelines and equipment - from the world's leading manufacturers from Europe and the United States. Construction was completed in 1983.

This gas pipeline through Ukraine has a length of 1160 kilometers. He enters the territory of the country through the control and measuring station "Sudzha". This route of the gas pipeline through Ukraine passes 9 compressor stations in the cities of Romny, Grebinka, Sofiyivka, Stavishche, Ilintsy, Bar, Gusyatin, Bogorodchany, Volovets. In Europe, gas leaves through the measuring station "Uzhhorod".

The capacity of the highway for fuel transportation is 28 billion cubic meters per year. This is the most powerful gas pipeline through Ukraine to date.

Progress gas pipeline

Construction of the gas main was completed in 1988. The route of the gas pipeline through Ukraine will coincide with the flow "Urengoy - Pomary - Uzhgorod". Its capacity is 26 billion cubic meters per year. It begins in the territory of Russia from the Yamburgskoye deposit. The length is 1160 km on the territory of Ukraine. There are 9 compressor stations on the main line, which provide transportation of gas to Europe.

The Druzhba gas pipeline

Little is known about him. This gas pipeline starts from Punga, near the border with Ukraine passes through Kursk and Ostrogozhsk. From Russia, gas leaves the highway through the gas distribution station "Valuiki", is moving to Kiev and further divides into several streams. One of them goes to Western Ukraine, the second - to the Moldovan border. In the future, the main roads from Ukhta to Punga were completed, and transit to the Ukrainian territory was also carried out through the Pisarevka and Sobarovka stations. And the pipeline itself is not mentioned either on the website of Naftogaz or on the website of Gazprom. Its sites were completed and renamed.

Export stream "Shine of the North"

The main route of the gas pipeline goes through the cities of Bovanenkovo, Ukhta, Torzhok, Dolina, Uzhgorod. The highway passes through the border of Ukraine with Belarus. The incoming gas metering station is located on the territory of Belarus - GIS "Mozyr". If you pay attention to the commissioning of the Torzhok - Dolina site, it will be the 90s, and the Bovanenkovo - Ukhta line in 2012.

On the territory of Ukraine the stream "Radiance of the North" is divided into three sections. The first of them is "Torzhok - Valley". At the end of this section, the gas is redistributed. The second one is "Valley - Uzhhorod". Its capacity is 17 billion cubic meters per year. In Uzhgorod, the gas is redistributed and falls on the third section - Uzhgorod-Beregovo. A year on this highway is 13 billion cubic meters of gas.

Other export gas pipelines

As already mentioned above, the gas pipeline through Ukraine is a whole branched network of pipelines connecting suppliers, end users, compressor measuring and distribution points. Therefore, we should mention the remaining gas pipelines through which transit to Europe takes place. These are Komarno-Drozdovichi, Khust-Satu-Mare, Ananiev-Tiraspol-Ishmael and Shebelinka-Izmail. Their total capacity is 34 billion cubic meters per year.

Construction of a new gas pipeline "South Stream"

Recent political events have shown that the export gas pipeline through Ukraine is not an absolutely reliable highway for fuel transit to European countries. In addition, breakdowns and explosions of gas pipelines, especially on strategically important lines "Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod", "Soyuz", "Progress", have become frequent. Therefore, pipelines are designed and built around, through other states.

One such is the South Stream. The route of the gas pipeline through Ukraine will not go. It will pass under the Black Sea directly from Russia. Initially, it was planned to conduct it through the economic zone of Turkey. But in connection with the annexation of the Crimea to Russia, the draft was revised. He will be dragged across the Black Sea shelf of the peninsula. This gas pipeline will allow Russia not to depend on Ukrainian intermediaries and the political and economic situation in the country and ensure a full-fledged gas transit to European states.

The situation to date is such that Ukraine will have to use only its own deposits and lose profits from transit operations. As soon as a new project is launched, Russia will be able to minimize gas supplies through its neighboring country, which will make this process economically unprofitable. The Russian Federation is a country that can not be given ultimatums.