CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY ON USSR-SATELLITE OIL PIPELINE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T01003A001000210003-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 6, 2002
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: March 30, 1961
• Content Type: BRIEF

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CIA/RR-CB-61-21
Copy No.
30 March 1961
CURRENT SUPPORT BRIEF
CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY ON USSR-SATELLITE OIL PIPELINE
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This report represents the immediate views of the
originating intelligence components of the Office
of Research and Reports. Comments are solicited.
This document contains information affecting the national defense of
the United States, within the meaning of the espionage laws, Title 18
USC, Sections 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which
in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY ON USSR-SATELLITE OIL PIPELINE
The Soviet Union has begun construction on the portion of the
USSR-European Satellite oil pipeline system which lies within Soviet
boundaries. This so-called "pipeline of friendship," a cooperative
venture of the members of CEMA (Council for Mutual Economic Assist-
ance), is designed to supply crude oil to new refineries in the
European Satellites and to refineries planned or under construction
in the European USSR. It will also allow an increase in the exports
of crude oil and petroleum products to Northern Europe and the
Scandinavian countries through the Baltic Sea ports of Klaipeda and
Ventspils. The entire system will be about 4,500 kilometers (km)
in length and probably will be completed for use by 1964. (See
Figure 1).
Construction began in late 1959 on the Czechoslovakian segment
and in 1960 on the Polish segment of the pipeline system. Czecho-
slovakia planned to construct 186 km in 1960, but by September had
fallen 40 km behind schedule. 1/ In Poland, a total of about 35 km
was laid in 1960 with installa[ion proceeding simultaneously in
both directions from Plock. No construction has been reported on
the 130 km section in Hungary nor on the short section into East
Germany, both of which are to be completed in 1962. It is probable
that the Polish and Czechoslovakian portions of the pipeline will
also be completed for use in 1962. The completed segments of the
system are to be supplied temporarily with crude oil delivered by
rail tank cars.
Plans for petroleum pipeline construction in the USSR in 1961
call for completion of a 325 km section between Brody and Uzhgorod
on the southern branch of the system. This section, described by
Soviet engineers as the most difficult length of construction on
the entire system, is to be ready for use at the beginning of 1962.
Gathering lines are to be installed during 1961 to transport the
crude from the Romashkino oil fields, in the area of Almetyevsk, to
Kuybyshev, the origin of the trunk pipeline system. 2/ Most, if
not all, of the Kuybyshev-Mozyr portion--the major sector of the
system--is to be completed in 1962*, and completion of the Mozyr-
Brody and Mozyr-Brest sections is scheduled for 1963.
Apparently the Kuybyshev-Mozyr portion is planned to be con-
structed of 40" diameter pipe, 3/ marking the first use of such
large diameter pipe in the construction of a crude oil pipeline.
At present the world's largest diameter oIl pipeline is the 32"
Trans-Arabian crude oil pipeline. Diameters of the branch pipelines
extending into the Satellites will average 20"-24".
* A petroleum products pipeline between Kuybyshev and Bryansk has
been under construction for the past several years. The final
429 km section, Michurinsk-Bryansk, is to be installed in 1961.
This products pipeline frequently is confused in the Western press
with the USSR-Satellite crude oil line.
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ESTIMATED DIAMETERS AND CARRYING CAPACITIES OF INDIVIDUAL
SEGMENTS OF THE PLANNED USSR-EUROPEAN SATELLIT
OIL PIPELINE SYSTEM
Segment
Length
Diameter Carrying Capacity a/
Origin
Terminus
(km)
(in.) (Million Metric Tons)
(Annual)
Kuybyshev
Mozyr
1,350
40 b/
35
Mozyr
Brest
475
)
24 c/ )
)
Brest
Plock
280
)
)
Plock
Schwedt
390
20 d/
Mozyr
Uzhgorod
725
)
24 e/
Uzhgorod
Bratislava
20 f/
Sahy
Szazhalombatta
130
na
Michurinsk
Kremenchug
700
20-24 e/
7.5-11.5
Unecha
Polotsk
375
28 e/
18
Polotsk
Klaipeda
475
20-24 e/
7.5-11.5
Polotsk
Ventspils
475
20-24 e/
7.5-11.5
a/ Except for the uy yshev-Mozyr sector, which is an estimate,
capacities are those given in Soviet sources and are a function
of the diameter.
b/ 3/.
c/ 4/.
d/ 5/.
e/ Estimate.
f/ 6/.
30 March 1961
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The USSR so far as is known, does not yet manufacture 40" steel
pipe, and currently is using such pipe, imported from West Germany,
in the construction of a natural gas pipeline linking the gas fields
in Krasnodar Kray with the Moscow area. Requirements in 1962 for
40" pipe probably will exceed by far any Soviet production capability;
therefore continued imports will be necessary. The USSR recently con-
cluded a trade agreement with ENI, the Italian oil monopoly, under
which 240,000 tons of steel line pipe are to be delivered to the USSR
over a period of four years. 7/ Significant but unknown quantities
of 40" pipe may be included in this agreement. In addition, it was
reported recently that the USSR has successfully negotiated with a
Swedish firm for the delivery of 135,000 tons of 40" steel line pipe
during the next four years, possibly for use in construction of a
pipeline linking the Urals-Volga directly with Leningrad. 8/ The
USSR will continue to import large-diameter pipe from West Germany
during 1961-63 and an English concern reportedly'has signed an agree-
ment to deliver 150,000 tons of pipe of unknown diameter for oil and
gas pipelines to the USSR during 1961-64. 9/ Total estimated pipe
requirements for the Soviet portion of the system, excluding branch
lines to Kremenchug and Klaipeda, may approach 700,000 tons, including
400,000 tons of 40" pipe.
Use of 40" pipe on the Kuybyshev-Mozyr sector will allow the
transport of about 28 million metric tons (mmt) of crude oil annually
from the producing areas by 1965, with an eventual full capacity of
35 mmt. (See Figure 2). Of the 28 mmt of crude oil, 13 mmt may be
required to supply new refining capacity now under construction in
the European Satellites. Deliveries will be increased in succeeding
years as refinery capacity in these countries is expanded. Of the
estimated 15 mmt of crude oil moving to Polotsk, about 6 mmt probably
will supply the refinery now being constructed there. Thus, as much
as 9 mmt of crude oil, plus an additional 3 mmt of petroleum products,
assuming a withdrawal of 3 mmt for local consumption, may be avail-
able for export through Klaipeda and Ventspils to markets in Northern
Europe and the Scandinavian countries. Although Klaipeda purportedly
was to be the major petroleum exporting base on the Baltic Sea, re-
cent reports indicate that the larger share of the exports will pass
through Ventspils. 10/
In addition to the exports through the Baltic, the system may
also provide for exports to the West through the port of Odessa if
the branch line to Kremenchug in the Ukrainian SSR is extended to
that city. However, the Kremenchug refinery still is in the planning
stage and therefore construction of the Michurinsk-Kremenchug branch
line probably will be postponed and may not be completed for use
during the Seven-Year Plan. Another possibility, drawing much specu-
lation in the Western press, would be the extension of the Czecho-
slovakian section beyond Bratislava, to Vienna. 11/
30 March 1961 CIA/RR-CB-61-21
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Table 2
ESTIMATED CAPACITIES OF REFINERIES TO BE SERVED BY THE
USSR-SATELLITE OIL PIPVLINE
1965 Capacity
Ultimate Capacity
Refinery
(Million Metric Tons)
(Million Metric Tons)
Polotsk a/
6.0
6.0
Plock b/
2.0
6.0*
Schwedt c/
4.0
8.0*
Szazhalombatta d/
2.0
3.0
Bratislava e/
5.0
5.0
Kremenchug
1968.
a/ Estimate.
b/ 12/.
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Crude oil pipeline
Possible crude/products
? Refinery planned or
under construction
........... Plans for construction
not confirmed
Almetyevsk
Figure 1. USSR-European Satellite Oil Pipeline System
(To be completed generally by 1964)
Unecha
Szazhalombattaff CONFIDENTIAL
Figure 2. Possible Movement Within the Planned USSR-European Satellite Oil Pipeline System 1965
(Millions of Metric Tons)
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