Residents or communities affected by the works on the Rhône arterial road

NaTran operates its network of nearly 33,800 km of pipelines in compliance with regulations and the highest European standards. The pipelines are subject to strict regulatory oversight and inspections by the authorities.

NaTran reminds that network safety is its top priority.

The Rhône pipeline was inspected using an instrumented piston between Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône) and Saint-Avit (Drôme). The raw data collected by the piston must now be progressively processed and cross-referenced with field analysis to enable its characterisation.

These analyses will be based on excavation work, i.e. the exposure of the pipeline and its thorough examination, which will take place from mid-June 2026. Any necessary repairs can then be determined based on the findings of these excavations. The aim is to ensure the integrity of the pipeline once this campaign is complete.

It should be noted that the protocol, defined in consultation with the authorities, is based on the following repair strategy, depending on the density of indications on a given section of the pipeline:

• For isolated indications: characterisation and any localised repairs where necessary;
• In the event of multiple indications, as a precautionary measure, the replacement of the section concerned.

In order to plan as effectively as possible for any future operations, NaTran’s teams carried out preliminary site surveys and the necessary studies, as well as ordering the required equipment. Discussions with the local councils potentially affected also took place during the spring of 2026.

In the meantime, the company continues to implement all necessary precautionary measures for these inspections and to ensure the safety of the network.

Details of the planned excavations and operations are set out below.

An emergency number is available: 0 800 24 61 02 (N°Vert) - 
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