A gas pipeline is a network of tubes that takes gas from a producing region, such as Bolivia, to a consuming region, such as Brazil. The gas is transported through the tubes with the help of the pressure difference: at a point, called the compression station, the pressure in the duct is high and “pushes” the fluid to the point of lowest pressure. In the pipeline between Bolivia and Brazil, the gas travels more than 3,000 kilometers – 557 kilometers in the neighboring country and 2,593 kilometers here. This “worm”, which transports up to 30 million m3 of natural gas per day, has become one of the most flammable issues of the moment after Bolivian President Evo Morales announced the nationalization of natural gas in the country. In practice, the measure means an immediate increase (from 50% to 82%) in the tax on the gas that Brazil imports, in addition to Bolivia’s control over the two Petrobras refineries in the country. That’s more than enough reason for President Lula to be pissed off.
1. It all starts with gas extraction in Bolivia. There, it is taken out of the ground, which is drilled by probes. As the gas is under pressure underground, it naturally comes out when it finds a breach. Before entering the pipeline, natural gas, consisting mainly of methane, is purified – gases such as sulfur and propane fall out
2. Before starting a trip, natural gas still has to be compressed to a pressure between 80 and 100 kgf/cm2 — 80 to 100 times greater than that of the atmosphere at sea level. Along the pipeline, compression stations help recover the pressure lost along the way.
3. It is not possible to extract the gas at any point in the pipeline. But the pipeline passes through 36 cities where there are delivery stations. In these outlets for the product, the pressure is reduced to about 35 kgf/cm2 (for safety reasons) and is withdrawn by local distribution companies. One of the delivery stations is in Campo Grande (MS)
4. Another type of station that rolls is the measurement station. There are several scattered along the route, such as this one in Guararema (SP). A metering station is simple: it has equipment to monitor the volume and velocity of the gas. Works as a checkpoint
5. The pipeline also has security mechanisms. There are 115 block valves, positioned 30 kilometers apart. They close the gas passage when there is a sign of a leak in the area. There are also block valves in the compressor stations
6. Maintenance is done by land, air and even water — divers check sections where the pipeline crosses rivers. Among other things, the technicians ensure the preservation of the “right-of-way”, a 20-meter-wide stretch that runs along the entire gas pipeline. In this strip, it is forbidden to build and plant
7. In the city of São Paulo, where 11.5 million m3 of natural gas are consumed daily, the product is not stored in cylinders, as is the case with LPG-type gas. It leaves directly from the pipeline to the pipelines of local distributors, which feed gas stations, homes and industries
8. The gas pipeline goes to the south of Brazil until Canoas (RS), where it finally ends after 3,150 kilometers! The piping that transports the gas is made of carbon steel, one of the most resistant. Pipe diameters range from 16 to 32 inches (40.6 to 81.2 cm), depending on the length. The pipeline is buried at an average depth of 1.20 meters