3 PiPelines international digest | deCeMBer 2010

The 244 km, 48 inch diameter Taweelah – Fujairah gas pipeline connects the south and north coasts of the United Arab Emirates. After three years planning, construction and charting a pipeline route through some of the most arduous desert and mountain terrains, Dolphin Energy has completed construction of the pipeline.

Built by Russian firm Stroytransgaz, the Taweelah to Fujairah Pipeline (TFP) connects the receiving terminal in Taweelah, on the Persian Gulf coast of the Emirate

of Abu Dhabi, to the receiving station of the treatment facility in Fujairah, in the Emirate of Fujairah, on the Gulf of Oman coast.

The project is designed to provide 1.6 Bcf/d of gas that will meet the current and future needs of the Department for Water Resources and Energy in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (ADWEC), including the future power plant and desalination plant at Qidfa, and will deliver of natural gas to Fujairah where ADWEC has built two power stations to support industrial growth and development.

Stroytransgaz commenced work on the pipeline in 2008 including basic and detailed design and engineering, and procurement of equipment and materials. The company also completed the construction, starting-up and commissioning of the pipeline.

The scope of the project covers construction of the pipeline, two pig launcher and receiver units, nine line valve stations and a gas metering station as well as installation of SCADA and telecommunication systems.

Keeping the project on timeTogether with its contractors, Dolphin implemented three major

construction milestones at the beginning of the project to keep construction of the pipeline on track.

Milestone 1 – reached in August 2009Approximately 1.2 km of 40 inch diameter spur line was laid

between the receiver of the Al Ain – Fujairah Pipeline (AFP) and ADWEC’s new power and desalination plant at Qidfa, Fujairah. This allowed commissioning of early gas at Dolphin Energy’s gas receipt station that services the plant.

Milestone 2 – reached in May 2010Approximately 128 km of pipeline was laid from Taweelah to

a section of the AFP. Using a hot tap connection, Dolphin was then ready to transport 350 MMcf/d of natural gas, which was a sufficient volume to supply both power stations.

Milestone 3 – reached in December 2010 The remaining 116 km was laid to complete the pipeline. This

saw construction activity in the most challenging section of the route which rose to 680 m above sea level in one place and a maximum slope angle of 33 degrees.

The Taweelah – Fujairah Pipeline Project was constructed through desert terrain.

Taweelah – Fujairah Pipeline Project

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4 PiPelines international digest | deCeMBer 2010

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Outlining the importance of TFP, Dolphin Energy’s General Manager UAE Ibrahim Ahmed Al Ansari said “The completion of the third milestone reinforces our vision to be a leading and reliable supplier of energy in a socially responsible manner and strengthens our commitment to provide natural gas to all seven emirates of the UAE.”

Throughout the project, Dolphin worked with the municipalities from four Emirates to perform more than 550 crossings using non-destructive techniques that kept third party assets intact.

Dolphin also worked closely with the International Petroleum Investment Company to accommodate its oil pipeline and share a right-of-way through Fujairah’s mountains as part of an agreed construction sequence.

Stroytransgaz said “The operations were performed in adverse natural and climatic conditions of the desert; difficulties were posed from local soils and topography; and, the pipeline route traverses a lot of roads and watered areas.”

Dolphin Energy’s General Manager Qatar Adel Ahmed Albuainain said “To have completed the last milestone in the short timeframe and to have overcome the tough, challenging conditions faced by the entire team shows how brilliantly the project has been executed.”

TWP Fast Facts• 244 km of 48 inch diameter pipeline and 1.2 km of

40 inch diameter pipeline • Transportation capacity of 1.6 Bcf/d• 116,000 t of pipe used• More than 20 shipments were made to deliver materials

to Abu Dhabi port• More than 7,000 trips to transport linepipe from the port

to the pipe marshalling yard, located 100 km out of Abu Dhabi

• More than 20,675 pipeline welds• TFP’s highest point is 680 m above sea level• 27 steep slopes ranging from 10 to 33 degrees• TFP crosses four Emirates• Over 550 third party crossings were made• 9 block valve stations and a receiving station built• 174 km of TFP pipeline constructed along with IPIC’s oil

pipeline in the shared RoW• Pipeline passed through more than 9,800 m of valleys

and catchment areas

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Construction works underway on the Taweelah – Fujairah gas pipeline.