Alternatives to Crucial Pipeline Route in Colombia
Bogota, Colombia - Geoingenieria S.A., the Inogen Associate in Colombia, is working closely with Ecopetrol S.A, the Colombia states oil company, to ensure the transport of liquid gas from Barrancabermeja's refinery to Cartagena, the main Colombian harbor in the Caribbean, through a 600 km pipeline running across a wide variety of natural ecosystems, ethnic communities and native reserves. The objective is to present a variety of different environmental alternatives for the route, using multicriteria analysis (scoring methodology) to select the most favorable one for the engineer.
The key aim of the project is to find the best solution which has the minimal impact on the natural environment and ecosystems, whilst taking into account the social issues and considering the below additional factors:
- The length of the alternatives, looking for the shortest possible alternative
- The use of areas already affected by previous projects
- Prescence of existing roads that will minimise additional impacts
- The complexity, hazards and risks associated with the construction in relation to geographical and geological issues
The magnitude of the project and the areas affected by the pipeline increase the level of significance for the country. The pipeline crosses the Magdalena river, the most important watercourse in Colombia, the Dique Canal, plus a diverse number of wetlands and flooding areas associated to this important hydrological system, making the selection of each section of the route a very complex process.
The innovative methodologies used to implement this project and the overall experience of Geoingenieria S.A. in the area, allows the local authorities to assess in the best way all the options, supported in technical, environmental, social and economic aspects.
For additional information on this or any other project contact Fredy Mora at +571 3276300 or fmora@geoingenieria.com