CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE1 of 3
. National Foreign Assessment Copy No. fe
Office of Imagery Analysis **
IMAGERY ANALYSIS MEMORAJIDUM
SUBJECT: Construction Status of the Soyuz Gas Pipeline. USSR
The Soviet press recently reported thatilometer (ton) Soyuz (Orenburg) gas pipeline, an International effort to provide natural gas from the Orenburg las Fields to the western USSR and eastern Europe, would be operational by late Analysis J
iTioicates tnatcoutq nave Been capaotror
operationate September but that all construction was probably not complete. In mid-August, several short segments of pipeline were still under constructionumber of.compressor stations were not complete.
The pipeline begins near Orenburg and crosses Into Czechoslovakia near Uzhgorod (see It connects to an existing pipeline network In Czechoslovakia for /ilstrjlbutlon to other east European countries.
The only portions of the pipeline not completed
In Bid-August were along them at the western
section contained at least ten short segments'where the pipe had no* been welded, primarily at road crossings. At^one river crossing, pipe had not been Installed on completed supports. The only long segment of unwelded pipe wasm long. Pipeline crews were working on this segment and the several shorter Incomplete segments. Aboutercent of the pipehis section, had not been burled.^
The rest of the pipeline appeared complete. Most of It was probably completed by early spring8 since crops had been planted over the line where It crosses farmland.
The pattern of completing alternate
compressor stations, aiso observed on other Soviet pipelines, would enable the Soviets to transport some gas before all compressors are Installed.
Comments and queries on the contents of this rwmorandum are welcome. They may be directedffice of Imagery AnalysTJTl
-to
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Original document.
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