North Elko Pipeline Project

Q&D facilitated the installation of 130,894-feet, or nearly 25-miles, of 12″ coated, steel natural gas transmission pipeline from a main line valve on the Ruby Pipeline near Willow Creek Reservoir to the Barrick Goldstrike Mine processing facilities. The work was done in a construction right-of-way that varied in width from seventy-five to eighty feet.

The new line is a branch interconnection off the Ruby Pipeline, a 678-mile, 42-inch interstate natural gas pipeline activated in July of 2011, originating in Wyoming and crossing through Utah, Northern Nevada, and Southern Oregon to deliver natural gas to California and other western states.

The North Elko Pipeline, developed and operated by Prospector Pipeline Company, will serve Barrick’s Goldstrike Mine to replace their use of propane with natural gas. This will improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and provide operational cost savings for the mine’s operations.

“Your team worked very well with our group, and we never once got the impression that anything we asked of you was either too difficult or simply a pain that they did not want to bother with.”

– Brian G. Habersack, VP Operations, Prospector Pipeline Company

SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS
In order to construct the pipeline, the right-of-way was cleared and grubbed, removing all vegetation and large rocks, and then bladed smooth. Pipe lengths, 40-feet each, were laid end-to-end, welded together and radiographically inspected. Once inspected, the welds were coated and the pipe was bent as needed to follow the contours of the project. A four to six foot deep trench was excavated next to the welded pipe, with excavators being careful to exclude large rocks which may damage the coating. The trenching contractor added bedding to the trench and lowered the pipe into the trench using side-booms. The trenching contractor backfilled the trench, again being careful to preserve the integrity of the anti-corrosion coating. The pipeline was hydrostatically tested before being placed into service.

FINISH HIGHLIGHTS
The project also included a metering station at Willow Creek at the interconnection with the Ruby Pipeline, a main line valve at Coyote Creek, and a delivery facility at the Goldstrike Station.