Within the Blue Stream project implementation Gazprom has completed the second line of the gas pipeline deep-water part running across the Black Sea seabed. The construction was performed by Gazprom’s customer Saipem.
The second line of the Blue Stream gas pipeline deep-water part was under construction since February 2002. There is a total of nearly 800 km of the gas pipeline laid by now on the Black Sea seabed at a depth of up to 2,150 m. The laying speed reached 5.7 km per day setting the world’s record for this type of work. While constructing the deep-water part of the pipeline the experts addressed a number of complicated technical issues related to the unique character of the future gas pipeline.
This week the Castoro-8 vessel will start laying the pipe section of some 10 km that will connect the shallow-water and the deep-water parts of the pipeline’s second line on the Turkish territory.
It will be recalled that the first line of the gas pipeline was completed on March 31, 2002, and currently undergoes testing. Construction of the second line of the gas pipeline underwater section is slated for completion by mid-June this year. Its testing is to be finished by this August.
Construction of the onshore section of the Blue Stream gas pipeline on the Russian territory is in progress as well. Approximately 250 km of the gas pipeline run across the Krasnodar Krai. At present, 232 km of pipes have been welded, of which 142 km have been trenched and buried. Land recultivation has been finalized on the area of 76 km.
Installation of large-size equipment, namely, gas pumping and dehydration units at the Krasnodarskaya compressor station is nearing completion.
Construction of some 900-m-long tunnel under the Bezymiannaya nipple is in progress. Over 130 m have been completed by the Mostovik Scientific and Manufacturing Association (Omsk).
Gas supplies via the Blue Stream are scheduled to commence in October this year, while 2 bcm of gas are to be supplied to Turkey via the gas pipeline as early as by 2003.