Best pipe fitters of Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta announced
October 21, 2016, 18:35
On October 18–20, 2016, the second round of the Best Pipe Fitter of Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta contest took place at the Job Training Center, the company’s educational subdivision. Taking part in the contest were 14 people representing all of the company’s gas pipeline operation centers.
On the first day of the contest, workers demonstrated their theoretical skills and participated in the first part of the practical skills test: they had to respond to 70 challenging questions and perform maintenance on ball valves (DN 150, PN 80) made by different manufacturers, as well as to identify and eliminate the causes of failure (replacement of damping fluid or air removal from the hydraulic system).
In the next round, contestants were invited to demonstrate their teamwork skills. They were divided into three groups by lot. The groups had to launch and receive a cleaning pig at the Linear Section training ground.
At the end of the first day, as many as six contestants were vying for the main prize. The three winners were determined after the final round, when participants had to pass a cleaning pig through a pipeline. The two-day competition ended with an award ceremony for the winners:
- 1st place: Alexey Yakushev (Sosnogorskoye gas pipeline operation center);
- 2nd place: Alexander Arnatsky (Vorkutinskoye gas pipeline operation center);
- 3rd place: Konstantin Soya (Vuktylskoye gas pipeline operation center).
Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta regularly holds contests aiming to help workers improve their professional skills, to identify and promote best practices and techniques, and to raise the prestige of industrial occupations.
Background
Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom supplying natural gas to consumers in nine regions of northwestern Russia and ensuring gas transit to the CIS and Europe. The gas transmission system operated by the company stretches across Russia's northwestern areas from the Yamal Peninsula-based Bovanenkovskoye field and Baidaratskaya, the world's northernmost compressor station, to the country's western borders.
Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta's areas of operation cover over 15,100 kilometers of gas trunklines. In 2015, the company transmitted more than 160 billion cubic meters of gas.
The company has 24 branches, including 14 gas pipeline operation centers, and 44 compressor stations with 83 compressor workshops. Gas transmission is performed by 418 gas compressors with a total installed capacity of 5,766 MW, while gas distribution is handled by 174 gas distribution stations. There are also ten CNG stations in operation.
Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta adopted the ISO 9001:2008 quality management system and the ISO 14001:2004 environmental management system. The company employs upwards of 13,000 people. It is headquartered in Ukhta, Komi Republic.
