El Encino-Topolobampo Gas Pipeline

Since 2014 GDI has been working on a natural gas pipeline to connect Encino in northern Chihuahua and Sinaloa’s Topolobampo port on the Pacific Ocean. The project, due to be completed in late 2016, will not only send and receive natural gas but will also generate clean electrical energy via compression stations in the two states.

The project is 556km long and adds to the more than 3,000km of gas pipelines that have been constructed in Mexico in recent years. Like many gas pipeline projects here, the El Encino-Topolobampo pipeline traverses diverse, challenging terrain, including a 250km stretch of the Tarahumara region in the Sierra Madre mountain range. This created a series of logistical challenges related to transportation, construction, accommodation and accessibility.

In response, GDI used a combination of specialized trencher chains and state-of-the-art raise bore drilling technology to cross directly through and underneath the mountains without damaging surrounding ecosystems or endangering workers. The many rivers, streams and highways that crisscross the region provide their own unique set of logistical challenges, as infrastructure can become sodden and inefficient. Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) and Horizontal Boring (HB) were employed to extract fluid from the ground and maintain a firm footing to facilitate construction and prevent the ground from caving in. The pipeline also meets the great Río Fuerte on the border of Chihuahua and Sinaloa, and GDI used a Sikorsky s-64 Sky crane helicopter, which can hold up to eight tons of freight, to transport the tubing required to construct this phase of the project.

Once completed, the pipeline will reduce energy use and trade costs for companies in the region. Thanks to the numerous clean energy compression stations installed at strategic locations along the pipeline, the construction will also emit less harmful gases into the atmosphere than traditional natural gas pipeline solutions. As well as protecting regional ecosystems, this will reduce safety concerns for workers and local communities.

Such a large project will inevitably require significant manpower and the El Encino-Tapolobampo project is no exception. It has already created a large number of jobs, many of which will still be required once the project reaches a conclusion, and the new source of energy will provide a welcome boost to a host of companies throughout northern Mexico in a variety of sectors.