OREANDA-NEWS. December 10, 2007. OJSC Urals Gas Networks (business of GAZEKS holding company) has completed an unscheduled safety audit of the gas-distribution points (GDPs), which ensure stable operations and safety of the gas-distribution systems in 52 municipalities of the Sverdlovsk Region, the company's press service reported.

A complete functional test was conducted to check performance reliability of the cut-off and dump valves ensuring safety of the gas-distribution systems. A double inspection of the GDPs was held in the major towns of the Sverdlovsk Region, such as Karpinsk, Severouralsk, Serov, Krasnoturyinsk and Kamensk-Uralsky, where the equipment performance was checked not only by local maintenance teams, but also by senior engineers from the head office led by Urals Gas Networks technical director Sergey Abalakov. The audit found the equipment of all 1,035 facilities to be in good repair meeting all official standards.

"It's no secret that 30% of the GRPs' equipment is morally outdated," says Urals Gas Networks technical director Sergey Abalakov. "A program developed by Urals Gas Networks and agreed upon by Rostekhnadzor provides for complete replacement of the GRPs' equipment by our company". According to Sergey Abalakov, in 2007 Urals Gas Networks reequipped 16 gas-distribution points in various towns of the Sverdlovsk Region investing RUR 4.8 million for this purpose. In 2008, the company intends to replace 33 GDPs with replacement costs amounting to RUR 11.55 million. Thus, the company is to replace the said outdated 30% of the equipment within three years.