South Stream Pipeline Tenders Invited

South Stream Transport has initiated two tenders, one for the supply of line pipe and another one for the construction of the South Stream Offshore Pipeline through the Black Sea.
South Stream Transport said in a press release that the company identified those pipe manufacturers which are able to produce pipes according to the specific Project requirements. Several pre-qualified pipe mills from Europe, including Russia, and Asia have been invited to develop proposals for the supply of pipe for the first offshore pipeline. All bidders have to prove their technical capability and provide the necessary capacities to supply the line pipe for the South Stream Offshore Pipeline.
Each of the four 930-kilometre offshore pipelines will be made up of over 75,000 pipes of 12 meters each. The pipes will have a diameter of 32 inch (approximately 813 mm) and steel walls of 39 mm thick.
Second tender package for pipeline installation
Due to the scale and technical requirements of the South Stream Offshore Pipeline only few contractors worldwide have the ability to offer lay barges capable of installing a pipeline on the seabed of the Black Sea at a maximum depth of 2,250 metres. South Stream Transport has decided to invite a selected number of companies to submit a proposal for an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract to lay the first pipeline through the Black Sea. All potential line pipe suppliers and construction contractors will undergo a tender and evaluation procedure on a non-discriminatory basis.

The South Stream Pipeline Project through the Black Sea (the “Project”) is the offshore component of the South Stream Pipeline System which will increase direct supply of natural gas from Russia to Central and South-Eastern Europe as it creates a new supply route and provides additional capacity. The Project will contribute to European energy security in a safe, reliable and environmentally responsible way and will help the EU member states meet their CO2 reduction targets. The South Stream Offshore Pipeline will have a length of approximately 930 km. It will connect the world’s largest natural gas reserves in Russia with consumers in the European Union. The South Stream Offshore Pipeline will originate on the Russian Black Sea shore in the area of Anapa, cross the Turkish Exclusive Economic Zone in the Black Sea and land on the Bulgarian coast near Varna.
Commercial operations are scheduled to start by the end of 2015. When fully operational, the South Stream Offshore Pipeline will consist of four pipeline strings and reach an annual capacity of 63 billion cubic metres.
South Stream Transport B.V. is an international joint venture established for the planning, construction and subsequent operation of the offshore gas pipeline through the Black Sea. The Russian company OAO Gazprom holds a 50% stake in the joint venture. The Italian company Eni S.p.A. has a 20% stake. The French energy company EDF and the German company Wintershall Holding GmbH (BASF Group) each hold 15%.
For further information, please visit: www.south-stream-offshore.com.