Gazprom completes half of TurkStream offshore section

Half of the offshore section for the TurkStream gas pipeline, that will carry Russian gas to Turkey via the Black Sea, has been installed. 

The TurkStream Project is being planned and developed by Russian company Gazprom. For the offshore section through the Black Sea, Gazprom has rendered the support of its subsidiary South Stream Transport B.V.

TurkStream will start on the Russian coast near the town of Anapa and run over 930 km through the Black Sea to come ashore in the Thrace region of Turkey. It will consist of two offshore pipelines, both with a capacity to transport up to 15.75 billion cubic meters (BCM) of natural gas per year (31.5 BCM in total).

As of Tuesday, March 6, 2018, over 930 kilometer of pipeline has been laid in total on the seabed of the Black Sea, divided over two strings.

Allseas-owned giant Pioneering Spirit, the vessel responsible for the deep-water sections of the pipeline, passed kilometer point 706 on Tuesday for the first line. For the second line, 224 kilometers were installed in 2017.

The construction of the Turkstream started in May 2017 using the Allseas-owned Audacia vessel for pipelaying work. The Audacia vessel was also used for pipe pulling through microtunnels.

The world’s largest pipelay and construction vessel Pioneering Spirit took over late in June to carry out the deepwater pipelaying operations at the first string of the project.

Following the completion of the Russian section of Turkstream, the construction in the Turkish waters started last November.

Gas transported via the first pipeline is destined for the Turkish market. The other pipeline will be directed towards the Turkish-European border. First gas is expected to flow through Turkstream in December 2019.

Offshore Energy Today Staff