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Richa Mishra

After the first major inland cross-country Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ) gas pipeline network was executed and commissioned by GAIL (India) Ltd in 1987, the east-west pipeline is the next single largest project undertaken in India. Implemented by Reliance Gas Transportation Infrastructure Ltd (RGTIL), a company promoted by the promoters of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), at a cost of about $4 billion, the east-west network has been laid to ferry gas from RIL’s prolific Krishna Godavari Basin Block.

The 1,385-km pipeline traverses the four States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr R. K. Dhadda, Managing Director, RGTIL, said: “It would not be proper to compare the two pipeline projects (HVJ and the east-west network). The implementation timeline of the two projects is different. Besides, the physical structure of the two projects is also different.”

The 1,700-km HVJ network passes through Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. Currently, the HVJ pipeline is over 2,800 km long. The design capacity of HVJ is such that it can transport 33.4 mmscmd of gas and the diameter of the pipeline is up to 36 inches. The east-west pipeline network can transport 80 mmscmd of gas and has diameter of 48 inches.

RGTIL is also in the process of implementing four pipelines that will interconnect with the east-west network. These are the 1,100-km Kakinada-Haldia, 600-km Kakinada-Chennai, 670-km Chennai- Tuticorin and the 660-km Chennai-Bangalore-Mangalore pipeline networks.

“Relogistics Infrastructure Ltd (Relog), a 100 per cent subsidiary of RGTIL, will be implementing these projects to enable faster implementation, better control over logistics and efficient financing,” Mr Dhadda said, adding that the target is to complete these projects by third quarter of 2012.

Implementation of the east-west pipeline network was taken up after formal authorisation by the Government in August 2004. In December 2005 the project was kicked off, he said, and the physical work was commenced in December 2006. The commencement of commercial operations started in April 2009.

There were people from 30 nationalities, including Chinese, Russians, Turks and Austrians involved in the project. While RGTIL was managing the entire project there were eight main contractors working on it, and about 500 different contractors doing other jobs, he said.

For smooth operations of the pipeline there are nine compressor stations equi-spaced along the route and two compressor stations at Bhadbhut for interconnection with the Gujarat State Petronet Ltd (GSPL) and GAIL (India) networks. The main pipeline operation centre at Navi Mumbai will be a back-up for the main centre at Gadimoga, Andhra Pradesh, Mr Dhadda said.

Asked about the safety measures, he said, “end-to-end communication systems have been established. SCADA systems have been installed for remote monitoring and control of east-west pipeline.”

On the challenges the company faced while implementing the project he said: “RoU acquisition involving over 78,000 landowners spread over 634 villages across four States, public hearings in 19 districts along the pipeline route, logistics, procurement of raw material and mobilisation of construction equipment, were some of the challenges the project faced.”

“Besides, the challenges of harsh geographical terrain cannot be forgotten. We undertook over 800 km of trenching in rock, more than 150 km in marshy and slushy coastal land with a limited working window, and over 100 major river crossings,” he said.

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