Freudenberg supplies seals for major oil & gas project

ERJ staff report (LMH)

Manchester, New Hampshire -- EagleBurgmann, a Freudenberg Group company, is supplying special seals for most of the pumping stations on the ESPO (East Siberia Pacific Ocean) pipeline.

ESPO (East Siberia Pacific Ocean) is a mammoth pipeline project, which will supply oil Siberia to China, Japan and Korea, when it is completed in 2016. Russian state company TransNeft is building the pipeline, which is almost 5000 kilometers long, in the East of Russia.

The pipeline is to be equipped with 43 pumping stations, each with four pumps. Currently, seven stations have already been installed on ESPO. Five further pumping stations are now being built as part of the expansion of the first part of the project and EagleBurgmann was recently awarded a contract for three further pumping stations on a section of ESPO.

"We are already in demand as a partner because of our experience and technical expertise. However, there is still considerable potential for expansion of our activities," said Dr. Mohsen Sohi, speaker of the Freudenberg Management Board. "We have identified oil & gas as a high priority strategic segment which means we will continue to invest and build Freudenberg's businesses in this area."

The extreme climatic and geographic conditions in Siberia mean that the installed equipment faces considerable challenges. The pipeline, with a diameter of 1200 millimeters, crosses earthquake prone areas and significant elevations. This means that the components used must meet high requirements in terms of quality, sturdiness, availability and durability.

The pumping stations themselves are often located in difficult terrain and are almost inaccessible. Logistic structures that minimise upkeep, maintenance and repair work are essential, Freudenberg said.

To meet the special requirements of this project, seals have been specially designed in close cooperation between design engineers, pump manufacturers and the system operator. Tests showed that the seal solutions of EagleBurgmann achieved friction and leakage values significantly lower than the limits that had been specified.

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Press release from Freudenberg