When upgrading a critical pipeline link to bring natural gas from the Shah Deniz gas field in the Caspian Sea westward to Turkey and Europe, a joint venture of Bechtel and ENKA had to bring high-level engineering to a remote site in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia. The South Caucasus Pipeline Expansion (SCPX) required over 3 million hours of work at a location more than 7,700 ft above sea level, where crews contended with blizzards, high winds, frozen ground and limited site access. Despite the harsh conditions and intricate engineering required, the project team met its zero-accident target with no lost-time incidents. The Area 80-81 project is only the first phase of the larger SCPX project, but it provides a key component of the effort, creating a tap into the existing gas pipeline network. In addition to building facilities and pipelines to tie into the existing 42-in. pipeline, the project also included construction of a nine-mile access road to the site.

Once completed, the facility’s pressure-reduction, metering and compression stations will serve as the crucial first step toward furthering the $45-billion pipeline expansion project that will more than triple the flow of natural gas moving westward to Europe.

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