On October 20, the last joint of the Blue Stream gas pipeline connecting its marine and onshore (Turkish) sections was welded 60 km off the town of Samsun (Turkey). A Gazprom delegation led by Yury Komarov, Deputy Chairman of the Company’s Management Committee took part in the ceremony.
Speaking at the meeting preceding the solemn ceremony of connecting the Blue Stream marine and offshore sections, were Zeki Chakan, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Yury Komarov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Gokhan Bildaci, the Botas Director General and Domenico Dispenza, Deputy Director General of ENI/SNAM.
The speakers expressed their content with the fact that the Blue Stream project had entered its final phase and underscored its technical uniqueness and importance in the context of strengthening international cooperation. “In December 1997, the Russian and Turkish politicians signed the Intergovernmental Agreement on the construction of the Blue Stream. It was a hard and responsible decision. A lot of doubts concerning the project implementation had been expressed during these five years. But today our hopes are coming true. The main credit goes to the Italian, Turkish and Russian constructors,” underscored Mr. Komarov in his speech.
The pipes along the 370 – km – long Russian onshore section are welded completely with the exception of two technological ruptures used for testing. At present, 265 km of the gas pipeline have been tested. The startup activities at the gas pumping units of the Krasnodarskaya compressor station are in progress. As projected, the first phase of the Blue Stream will be completed this December after testing of the Russian onshore section has been finished.