In a move raising significant questions, the specialized company "Line Scan" is scheduled to hold a meeting with the "Syrian Gas Company" within the next two days to initiate the "Smart Scanning of Gas Transmission Pipelines" project. This massive project, funded by a Qatari grant, is shrouded in controversy regarding its true economic feasibility and transparency of its objectives, especially at a time when all technical indicators confirm the pipelines have long exceeded their operational lifespan.
The Core Controversy: Economic Sense or "Grant Drain"?
Technical and economic sources are skeptical of the real value of the smart scanning operation, citing several field-based facts:
Exceeded Operational Lifespan: The targeted pipelines have long surpassed their expected operational life (20 years), with most having been in service for over 25 years. This fact alone raises a major question about the need for an expensive scan to confirm what is already known.
Confirmed Internal Corrosion: Preliminary cleaning operations conducted on sections of the pipelines revealed large quantities of "stacked water," which is clear evidence of significant internal corrosion. This means the pipelines are already in a state of slow degradation, making the scan's outcome a foregone conclusion: the need for replacement.
Non-Standard Repairs: Over past years, the pipeline network has suffered more than 500 attacks, followed by "non-standard" repairs. Observers fear this complex situation could be used as a pretext to transform the project from a "scan" into unjustified "repairs and reinforcements," inflating the cost of the grant without providing a fundamental solution.
Funding Under Scrutiny:
The project is being executed by "Line Scan" under the umbrella of "United Contracting Company - UCC," funded by a grant from the State of Qatar. Critics argue that directing this grant towards a scanning operation for infrastructure already known to be obsolete resembles an "organized waste" of funds. The fundamental question remains: Why aren't these funds directed immediately towards the pipeline replacement phase, which is the urgent and genuine need?
Compounded Waste: Gas and Money
The project reveals another paradox: before the smart scan can be performed, the pipelines must be thoroughly cleaned. This cleaning process itself requires the wasteful flaring of additional quantities of gas, which could have been saved if the decision had been made to directly plan for the pipelines' replacement. Thus, the project drains not only money but also a precious national resource.
Conclusion: A Procedural Exercise with Predetermined Results
Observers conclude that the stated goal of the scan – to assess the pipeline's condition – has become meaningless given the existing technical data. What is happening is the expenditure of a large sum from the grant on a procedural exercise with a predetermined outcome, instead of using these funds for the more fundamental and economically beneficial solution: replacing the corroded gas pipelines.
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