To commemorate the anniversary of the emblematic work carried out in Peru, the people who made it a reality tell why it was such a special and unforgettable project and highlight what they learned.

In 2000, Techint Engineering & Construction undertook a project of extraordinary dimensions that had an impact on its own history and Peru´s: the construction of a pipeline that went from the Amazon jungle, crossed the Andes Mountains, and reached the gates of the city of Lima and the Port of Pisco. The Camisea project left a legacy in all the people who participated. They remember the experience as if it were yesterday.

“It was a project of dimensions that we had rarely tackled as a Group. It had many complexities and challenges, but after 20 years we can count it as a success story. We are proud to say that we rose to the occasion,” said Pablo Videla, Chief Project Controls Officer.

Techint E&C was in charge of the engineering and construction of a 731 kilometre natural gas pipeline and a 560 kilometre natural gas liquids pipeline. The works required 3 years of effort in a geography so complex that it required 16 work fronts and some of the jungle and mountain areas were so isolated that they had no access roads.

Mario Magiantini, HR Manager of the project, remembered it as “something amazing.” “When they tell you that the pipeline starts in the Peruvian jungle and has to cross the mountains to reach the Pacific, you quickly realise the challenge you are facing. What is fantastic about doing a project like this is that you become a company. We managed to develop the plan as it was planned,” he stated.

Alejo Calcagno, Operations Director of the South Region, emphasised that it was something totally different to what we were used to do.“It was jungle, but also mountains and there were rivers that seemed impossible to cross. The first 10 km were relatively flat with lots of plants and animals, and then the landscape turned into mountains covered by jungle, which made it very difficult to decide where to cross the pipes”, he said.

Logistics was indeed one of the main challenges. 200,000 tonnes of pipe were transported through impassable areas, personnel were placed in 35 different camps, more than 2,400 pieces of equipment were needed, and seven helicopters were used to ensure that both material and workers were there when needed.

Alejandro Maluf, President of the North America Region, commented: “I had no idea of the scale of the project until one day, six months after I arrived, I went to walk the site. I saw where the pipeline had to go and I asked myself: 'How are we going to get a pipe through here?”

Mountain challenges

The gas transport system that was built included 22 block valves and 3 diversion points in Cusco, Ayacucho and Pisco. For the gas liquids, 4 pumping stations were required because it was necessary to climb to 4,850 metres above sea level, as well as 3 pressure reducing stations, 19 block valves and 9 check valves.

Videla recalled that in his early days he had to get used to living and working at enormous heights. “I couldn't even sleep. It took me about a week to adapt. The most difficult part was the descent from Huancano because the route came from a high mountain range, some 4,600 metres, above sea level. From there it descended to 1,000 and, in a stretch of 5 kilometres, it dropped 2,500 metres. After studying it and modifying the engineering, we built a road at altitude, used a very heavy bulldozer, specialised steel cables and did everything necessary to be able to move forward,” he said.

Calcagno recalled: “There was a time when we didn't know how to go on. We had to carry equipment and materials to almost inaccessible places that were very difficult to reach by land. When we had to load a 15-tonne line valve, we considered taking it by helicopter, but it was too heavy. So we modified a tracked trailer and also used a tracked agricultural tractor, which was modified so that it could travel through the jungle. With that and a couple of courageous people, we made it to the track and the job was finished.”

Given the importance of the project, both national and international organisations, as well as the press and the industry in general, closely followed the development of the works. Techint E&C made a strong effort to care for the environment, protect the archaeological heritage of the site and contribute to the development of the local communities. During construction, 80% of the workers were Peruvian, many of them from the villages surrounding the project.

Magiantini explained that he himself opened the office at 6 a.m. and some people did not believe him about the working hours they had to keep. “The hours of the day were not enough. This shows how interested everyone was in staying on the job for as long as it took to complete the work. We had around 12,000 people and we had a school for welders and multiple workshops to train our people,” he said.

Another challenge was environmental protection. The route of the pipeline, which ran through the Amazon rainforest, had to cross it with the least possible impact on the local flora and fauna. For this reason, Alejandro Sarubbi, Chief QHSE Officer, together with his team, had to change the mind set and start applying processes that had never been applied before. “We implemented the environmental protection programme and created the archaeological group to take care of all the plant species, animals and relics that were close to the line. The team had to make a great effort to protect the environment in this place where the greatest diversity of flora and fauna in the world resides, which even has species that to this day, 20 years later, are still unidentified. Everything we learned led us to create the Lessons Identified, which helped us to improve the processes in the following projects,” he explained.

Maluf explained: “What I experienced was the opposite of what I would have imagined. The main challenge was psychological and motivational. The technical complexities were gigantic, the difficulties sometimes grew and there were times when we didn't know if the company was going to make or lose money. These projects that require so much effort and sacrifice are very hard, but the team is the main lifeline when it gets tough.”

In certain sections, the complexity was so high that advanced machinery was required for very difficult routes, such as the most challenging rivers and steepest descents. For Leonardo Ionfrida, Project Manager, the most critical stretch was the jungle.

“The region where we worked had a very marked seasonality of rainfall and the nearest meteorological centre was 150 kilometres northeast of Malvinas. There was no awareness of the difficulty of the rains and that made the situation much more complex. Clearly, it's very different from a plant. We looked for the most experienced people and made the project a success,” said Ionfrida.

Given the location of the site and its characteristics, health posts were set up to deal with any injuries or emergencies that arose during the project, and there was a strong emphasis on safety. However, the situation was difficult for everyone. Juan Carlos Pais, QHSE Manager, commented: “They gave us a lot of vaccinations, we had to wear repellent to avoid getting malaria and we had to take thousands of precautions to avoid getting sick that made me think: where are we going? There were many variables that, clearly, they don't teach you in engineering school. Camisea changed things in the company and helped us to improve. We saw that, together, we could raise the bar.”

A legacy of partnership

Maluf stressed that, despite the difficulties he faced, he has great memories of the Camisea project. “For some people being in a camp is not so good, but for me it was a sensational experience. Of course we faced many adverse situations, but that makes you share every experience with your colleagues. Whether you feel discouraged or successful, you always have your colleagues to talk to and support each other.”

Calcagno also emphasised the importance of the team and the good working atmosphere, especially on the most difficult or longest days. “We used to get together after dinner and have a guitar jam. There was always someone who cooked something, whether it was empanadas or asado. Finishing the project was epic. We did it from the heart,” he stressed.

“What I take away from Camisea is, on the one hand, the pride of having been able to apply in practice everything I studied at the university, and on the other hand, the gratitude of all the people who participated in the project and grew with us,” added Sarubbi, who also pointed out that many of his team members have grown and are now leaders in environmental, safety and health issues.

Pais also highlighted the friendly atmosphere in the project. “There was a lot of harmony. We got together to have dinner and make jokes, we played football and we all kept each other company. I learned the passion for the project. Once, I saw all the yellow teams of the Group from the helicopter and I started to cry. The passion was reflected in Camisea because many wills were united for that great challenge and I feel very proud to have been there, I carry it deep inside me,” he recalled.

Despite all the challenges and difficulties, the project was a success and natural gas reached Lima for the first time in the history of Peru. Looking back on those moments, Ionfrida also expressed his personal satisfaction and admiration for the colleagues with whom he shared tasks. “I can proudly say that we were able to do it and that success was the result of the efforts of all the people who were part of this titanic work,” he said.

For his part, Maluf recalled the final stages of the Camisea project with great emotion: “On my final trip to Lima, I stopped at a traffic light and next to me there was a magazine stand. On the front pages of the newspapers there were phrases like 'Gas arrives in Lima' or 'Finally Peru enters the gas era'. I felt an enormous sense of pride. In this project we achieved a positive economic result, but the most important thing for me was to learn that you have to swim even if you feel you are 20 metres under water. The Camisea Project was a great way to learn resilience.”