Construction surges ahead on East-West gas pipeline

Construction work has begun on two sections of the East-West gas pipeline in the fourth phase Gas Pipeline Rehabilitation project, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The work will focus on constructing a 20 km section of the 700 mm Gori-Kareli pipeline in Eastern Georgia, and a 23 km section of a 700 mm Zestafoni-Kutaisi pipeline in the Western part of the country.

After the project is completed, capacity of the pipelines located in the West will increase from 500 mm to 700 mm.

The construction work on both sections of the pipeline are planned to be completed by October 2014.

The Gori-Kareli section will be built by Turkish company Ahm Energy and the Zestaponi-Kutaisi pipeline section will be completed by Georgian company SaqMilsadenMsheni Ltd.

Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation (GOGC) announced international tenders for the East-West Main Gas pipeline rehabilitation project (phase IV) in July 2013.

The contractual price of the Gori-Kareli 20 km section makes up $3.8 million USD while the Zestapini-Kutaisi 23 km section is valued at $4.4 million USD.

Meanwhile, work to upgrade the Senaki-Poti 30 km pipeline section, the Abasha-Senaki 29 km section and Kutaisi-Abasha 47 km sections of the high pressure pipelines have already been implemented under Phase I,II and II of the Energy Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project.

The Power and Gas Infrastructure Program, supported by USAID, aimed to assists the Government of Georgia to undertake strategic interventions in gas and power infrastructure and enhance energy security of the country.