2013, which was of great importance for SOCAR Azerigaz PU from the point of assigned tasks fulfillment, has also become the past. The Union has successfully closed the past year with high production indicators owing to mobilization of all forces for fulfillment of assigned tasks. The matter concerns mainly successes achieved in implementation of operations in accordance with Azerbaijan President’s Order dated April 14, 2009 on approval of the “State program of social-economic development of the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2009-2013” and the Order dated May 4, 2011 on approval of the “State program of social-economic development of the Baku city and its settlements during 2011-2013”.
Just like in previous years, special focus in 2013 was on issues concerning continuous and safe gas delivery to the population and other consumers, provision of gas supply to residential estates and resuming of gas delivery to dwelling settlements which used to receive gas before as well as implementation of overall maintenance on the gas supply network.
Using the achievements of the oil strategy laid by Nationwide Leader Heydar Aliyev Azerigaz PU, along with timely fulfillment of provision of gas supply related tasks assigned by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, ensured dynamic development of gas supply facilities.
First of all, it is noteworthy that the operations aimed at provision of gas supply and resuming of gas delivery to the dwelling settlements which used to receive gas before, have become large-scale and covered all the regions of the country. The rates and quality of operations on provision of gas supply have been considerably increased compared to the figures of the past years. As a result, gas was supplied to 217 dwelling settlements of 41 regions of the Republic throughout the year. Following the Aghdam and Gazakh region where provision of gas supply was completed as early as 2012, the similar operations were performed at Balakan and Hajigabul regions.
Addressing the conference dedicated to the results of the implementation of the “State program of social-economic development of Baku city and its settlements in 2011-2013”, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev noted: “In general, the rates of provision of gas supply are very high within the country. We are getting close to almost 90%. Gas lines are laid even to the regions and settlements which had not been provided with gas supply during the Soviet period. This initiative is bearing rather a social character. It is our duty to supply people with gas there. As a result of gas supply operations as well as expansion of the subscriber base, the number of subscribers in the country reached 1,647,906 as of January 1, 2014.
It is noteworthy that 19,830 out of total amount of gas consumers registered as of January 1, 2014 are subscribers that do not belong to the category of the population. In addition to 1,579,085 subscribers (population) who were supplied with gas as of January 1 of this year, registered were another 48,991 subscribers at high-rise buildings supplied with gas individually. In general, 167,536 gas consumers out of 1,628,076 subscribers, registered as of January 1, 2014, were registered in the past year alone. 57,708 of them reside in Baku, Absheron and Sumgayit. 109,828 subscribers were registered in the regions.
It also must be noted that 701,645 out of the total amount of subscribers fall to the share of Baku city (691,448 – population subscribers; 10,197 – other categories). 946,261 subscribers fall to the share of regions (936,628 – population subscribers, 9,633 – other categories).
490,337 new subscribers (population) were supplied with natural gas in the country over the period of operation of Azerigaz PU in 2009-2013 including 149,533 subscribers in Baku and 340,804 subscribers in the regions. 449,157 of domestic gas meters (including 263,905 of smart-meters) were installed or replaced at apartments of consumers over the past year. Their number totaled 1,510,492 (including 783,260 smart meters) units during 2009-2013.
Azerigaz PU has introduced innovations and made far-reaching changes in order to prevent possible technical problems associated with the growth of payment operations and the growth of the number of smart meters. The growth of total payments needs much stronger software and for this reason updated software has been introduced since the past year. It will enable to provide qualitative services to approx 1 mln subscribers.
In 2013 SOCAR Azerigaz PU also gained important indicators in provision of gas supply to high-rise buildings. Appeals of businesses and individuals were considered in this regard owing to the operative activities of Azerigaz. Provision of gas supply to 149 high-rise buildings was commenced after submission of appropriate documents. These activities cover 30,374 apartments in general. It is noteworthy that gas supply of 60 multi-storey buildings was provided in 2012. Ongoing operations yield serious results as a considerable growth has been fixed in this regard.
As a structure involved in gas sale Azerigaz PU is interested in provision of gas supply to any multi-storied building within a short period of time after the corresponding documents about acceptance of the building and gas infrastructure for operation have been submitted (original design estimate documentation agreed with appropriate organizations, certificates of acceptance of external and internal gas pipeline, construction certificates of external and internal gas pipelines, the list of gas meters installed in apartments and other necessary documents).
The situation with non-stop and safe gas delivery to consumers, which is one of the main obligations of Azerigaz PU, as well as with timely and full payment for consumed gas by subscribers is satisfactory as well.
In particular, certain success has been gained in providing full payment for consumed gas. A total of 2,201,571,619 cubic meters of gas was sold to the population by Azerigaz PU in 2013. The collection of fees totaled 101.98%. It is the result of the increase of gas supply to the population in autumn-winter of 2012-2013 while the payment made by the population for consumed gas was incomplete. The debts formed during that period were repaid by consumers in the spring-summer period of 2013. It should be noted that accounts receivable of residential consumers without privileges decreased by 7.2% through 2013. At the same time, collection of payments for consumed gas made 102.9%. For Baku, Absheron and Sumgayit this figure reached in total 104% and 101.9% for the regions of the country. The highest figure in the country was registered in the Khyzy region, amounting to 121.44%. This indicator in the Goranboy region made 110.73%, 109.31% in Sabirabad, 106.9% in Ganja and 105.96% in Imishli. Among the districts of Baku there are also the high indicators. In particular, in the Sabunchu district this figure made 107.33%, 106.30% in the Surakhany district and 104.98% in the Sabayil district. This figure was high in Sumgayit City, amounting to 105.49%. It should be mentioned that as of January 1, 2014 some 110,686 IDPs families were provided with non-stop gas supply.
Like in previous years, the PU continues works to develop the gas supply facilities. Gas pipelines of different diameters are being repaired, gas pipelines are moved from the territory of private yards and installation of gas meters is also underway. To reduce natural gas losses, outdated mechanical meters used in flats are substituted with new smart meters and old gas regulators are replaced with new ones. For instance, for the purpose of improving gas supply last year the gas use areas laid new gas pipelines of different diameters with the total length of 423,084 ML, and installed 1,560 gas regulators and 1,071 gas control boxes.
It is worth mentioning that last year 9948.1 km of gas pipelines were laid for the purpose of raising the volumes of fuel supplied to consumers and gasification of settlements. It is the highest indicator for the entire history of gasification. Major repair of 1774.7 km of gas pipelines was performed to ensure proper and safe operation of network gas pipelines.
Azerigaz PU also takes measures to reduce technological gas losses. In particular, in gas custody transfer points the PU implements repair and substitution of metering units, which have been in operation for a long time and do not correspond to the requirements of norms and specifications. Brand-new appliances and electronic meters are installed and used on metering units to define a gas flow rate.
To that end large-scale works are currently in process to substitute outdated measuring appliances with new ones. It is very important to equalize the difference of figures when making decade chemical analyses on gas custody transfer points of Azerigaz PU with the physical and chemical features registered in the memory of metering equipment. Relevant activities are performed to install the equipment for analysis of the physical and chemical features of gas. Gas chromotographers have been installed at 15 points to perform analyses. Repair work is currently underway on the internal metering skids of Azerigaz PU. Conditions were created to fix chemical parameters of natural gas in the memory of flowmeters in the process of gas custody transfer in the online mode. Installation of new metering skids at gas custody transfer points of Azerigaz PU meeting the requirements of up-to-date standards and with the use of new flowmeters and equipment for studying physical and chemical figures, virtually results in reduction of gas losses.
Last year passports of the gas supply facilities across the gas use areas were revised, coordinated and sent to places for filling. At the same time, in connection with the project of reconstruction of the gas supply system of Baku City and the Absheron Peninsula, works are in process to create the electronic database (electronic map) of the medium and high pressure gas networks with regard to separate districts in the special software in 2010-2013.
The gas use areas have specified the data (types, diameters, brands, the number of consumers, addresses, etc.) with regard to units and equipment of the gas supply network (industrial meters, underground and online medium and high pressure gas pipelines, boxes, valves, hatches, separators, etc) and commissioned the electronic database. The database provides incredible help since it enables to control the gas network in the online mode, browse network-related information in the set coordinates, implement exact emergency and repair works. The electronic data base plays important role in timely prevention of gas losses, provision of high-quality services to consumers, correct gas supply regulation and creation of forecast conditions. The electronic card can be regularly and quickly updated. Unlike the old cards, there is an opportunity of searching responses to numerous questions with the use of information of modern cards.
One of the main areas of Azerigaz PU’s activities is to inform each subscriber about rules for the usage of gas at place, withdraw gas appliances without compliance certificates from use and remove hose couplings. Azerigaz PU is performing all necessary work to prevent installation of gas appliances in cellars and semi-basements.
Also, the production union continues measures to prevent violation of rules for the use of gas. Consequently, the employees of Azerigaz PU have filled relevant acts for 10,878 residential consumers and 498 acts for other consumers for violation of gas use rules. The acts have revealed 18,253 not registered gas consumers, who were not included in the subscriber base. According to the results of the prepared acts, the damage from gas losses amounted to 5,623,076 AZN. The number of made acts went down by 1,404 acts in comparison with the 2012 year.
Azerigaz PU is not going to rest. The production union’s staff is ready to apply all efforts to accomplish the 2014 year with even higher achievements and make its worthy contribution to the development of the gas supply facilities of the country.
