High-tech Russian-made Gazprom Neft bitumen used in construction of a transcontinental highway in Latin America

Moscow, January 30 - Neftegaz.RU. Gazprom Neft has completed delivery of polymer - bitumen binders (PBBs) for construction of the Bi-Oceanic Corridor,* the most important infrastructure facility in Latin America. The highway will unite the eastern and western coasts of the South American continent into a single transport network.

Innovative bitumens produced by the Gazprom Neft Ryazan Bitumen Materials Plant are being used in asphalt road coverings throughout the 277 km border section of the highway, in Brazil and Paraguay.

The specialist formulation for the PBBs used on the Bi-Oceanic Corridor highway was developed at Gazprom Neft’s Science and Technology Centre in Ryazan, under the international Superpave mix design method. This innovative bitumen’s composition has been adapted to the region’s climatic conditions - high air temperature coupled with tropical humidity.

The region’s mountainous terrain, as well as future car and HGV traffic, were also taken into account in developing the PBBs. The binders’ special formulation is expected to ensure the highway’s reliable operation for a period of more than 10 years.

PBB deliveries to Latin America from Russia were undertaken by sea and road transport, in special patent medium-tonnage cuboid containers - Clovertainers, which guarantee that bitumens’ high-performance features are preserved.

«Many of the products in our bitumens line have no equivalents in Russia or the world. This competitive advantage - alongside technologies, modern production capacity, an extensive logistics network, and scientific and technical expertise - mean we can expand our business’ geographic coverage and be involved in implementing major international infrastructure projects. Our bitumens are, today, delivered to 57 countries, worldwide, covering practically all of the continents on the planet», Dmitry Orlov CEO, Gazpromneft Bitumen Materials

* The Bi-Oceanic Corridor is a highway between Brazil and Paraguay, connecting the eastern and western coasts of the Latin America continent into a single transport network. The project is expected to run to 2022.