Gazprom at 170 km of TurkStream

Gazprom has laid more than 170 km of the offshore part of the TurkStream gas pipeline, Russian energy minister Alexander Novak told the Izmir International Fair August 19.

“Work on the TurkStream gas pipeline, which is designed to increase the energy security of Turkey and the European Union, is successfully being implemented, and the construction of the offshore section of the gas pipeline began on the Russian Black Sea coast in May of this year," he reportedly said.

So far there is nothing firm regarding the extension of the line beyond Turkey, although what Gazprom calls "preparatory measures" are under way on the second line, in the shallow waters of the Black Sea on the Russian coast. That line will carry gas beyond Turkey, the first line being intended to replace two lines totalling 14bn m³/yr running through Ukraine into Turkey by way of the Balkans. Each line is to carry 15.75bn m³/yr.

The linepipe was ordered a few years ago, when the plan was to lay a line directly to Bulgaria, the so-called South Stream project – a name that still persists: it is announced by the answerphone at the number given by Gazprom for TurkStream.

“The continuation of the Turkish Stream is currently in constant discussion with those who are interested in obtaining Russian gas. Greece, Italy, and now Bulgaria again come out with the initiative that gas supplies should be carried out to their territories. If necessary, we can supply both here and there. The main thing is that the confirmation should be received from the European Commission,” Novak said.

Work on the offshore gas pipeline began in shallow water off the Russian coast in early May this year. At the end of June, the construction site entered the deepwater zone of the Black Sea. The length of each line is over 900 km. Construction of the first line of the gas pipeline should be completed in March 2018, and the second one in 2019. 

Azerbaijan desk