EN 
LV About oil pipelines and damage to drainage systems
In the daily operations of SIA "LatRosTrans", there is continuous contact with farmers and landowners, therefore the company would like to explain in a little more detail the nature of its production activities and the importance and necessity of daily repair work.
SIA “LatRosTrans” provides transit of oil and oil products through pipelines, the infrastructure of which was created more than 40 years ago. SIA “LatRosTrans” owns a pipeline network with a total length of almost 800 kilometers. These are: an oil pipeline in the direction of Lithuania, an oil pipeline in the direction of Ventspils and an oil product (diesel) pipeline in the direction of Ventspils. It should be noted that the company has not been carrying out oil transit for quite some time, therefore the oil pipeline in the direction of Ventspils has been cleaned and is in a preserved condition in order to minimize environmental risks.
Thus, the only pipeline through which transit is currently implemented is the oil product pipeline “Polotsk – Ventspils”. The pipeline crosses the territory of Latvia from the Belarusian border to Ventspils. The pipeline route includes hundreds of land plots in the territories of thirteen regions and thirty-seven parishes, which have a wide variety of owners and users.
It is clear that one of the most pressing issues is the need for earthworks in the areas to be worked. As already mentioned, the pipeline was built more than 40 years ago, so maintaining its technical condition is one of the most important issues for the company. A number of factors affect the technical condition of a pipeline laid in the ground.
In order to timely identify potentially dangerous sections, the company performs diagnostics both on its own and by involving subcontractors. According to the diagnostic results, a repair schedule is drawn up every year, which is implemented by the maintenance and repair services of SIA "LatRosTrans" during the season from May to October.
Undoubtedly, it is in the interests of all parties involved – both SIA “LatRosTrans” and farmers – to carry out the work at a time when the fields are not sown and the crop is harvested. However, it should be noted that according to the diagnostic results, more than 100 various pipeline defects need to be eliminated every year. Cracks, scratches, defects in welds can appear in the pipeline, and over time its insulation becomes ineffective. The pipeline is also subject to pressure – both internal and external, and all this together creates defects, the non-elimination of which can lead to serious consequences.
The type of defect elimination work itself also varies. Among them may be such works that the repair crew performs within one day. The elimination and repair of the most serious defects takes a whole week, as it is necessary to mobilize the crew, travel to the place of work - sometimes a hundred or more kilometers, determine the location of the section to be repaired, dig it up and only then can the direct repair work begin, after which the track must be cleaned. Such is the daily work of repair crews.
Therefore, it can be concluded that timely repair and maintenance of the pipeline in a safe condition is a labor-intensive process, which involves a large number of specialists and lasts for many months in a practically continuous work mode. This is also the reason why the company cannot perform such a large-scale work within a limited time frame. In addition, the employees of SIA "LatRosTrans" are also involved in many other tasks that are not related to the execution of the repair plan on a daily basis - from daily equipment maintenance to mowing the lawn, and we must not forget about unplanned work.
Needless to say, failure to eliminate defects in a timely manner can lead to serious consequences with harm to both people and the environment. The current legislation also imposes the obligation to maintain hazardous equipment, in this case the main pipeline, in a safe condition. Therefore, summer trips of SIA "LatRosTrans" for earthworks are an integral part of the pipeline operation regulated by regulatory enactments.
Pipeline repair work
Layout scheme of main pipelines in the territory of the Republic of Latvia
