A Simex VSE 40 screening bucket is delivering successful results in Siberia on the “Power of Siberia” gas pipeline, which will transport Russian gas into China. “Power of Siberia” is the natural gas pipeline constructed and managed by Gazprom. One of the most delicate phases of operations for Power of Siberia's construction is the welding and the laying of the pipe (1420 mm diameter), which cannot be set directly on the bottom of the trench, but instead on a 30-cm bed of screened material containing aggregates no bigger than 0-28 mm. This “soft” layer, called “bedding” in the petroleum industry, must guarantee that the pipe be perfectly level and prevent that the sections of pipe are not damaged by aggregates having a pointed shape or extreme size. The bedding has a fundamental role in the preservation of the pipeline over the long-term, which in the case of the Power of Siberia must have a 20-year operating cycle before undergoing extraordinary maintenance. The screening bucket, the first of its kind bought by Stroigasmontage, is having excellent results both for the quality of the material and the production volumes, with the bedding process progressing smoothly since it is mounted on an excavator. The attachment has also proven extremely reliable despite the fact that work carries on continuously and that weather conditions are harsh: last January and February average temperatures were -30°C (-22°F), even hitting -47°C (-52°F), and in any case never rising above -25°C (-13°F).