South Stream Transport, the company charged with overseeing the planning, construction and operation of the South Stream pipeline is ready to start construction on the most complicated part of the project, Gazprom says.
Once built, South Stream will transport gas from Russia across the Black Sea and Central Europe. It is due to reach full capacity, at 63 billion cu m of gas, in 2018.
Image: Saipem's Castoro Sei prepares for pipelaying operations at Burgas, Bulgaria. Photo from South Stream Transport.
The most complicated part of the project are the first and the second strings of the offshore gas pipeline, says the Russian giant. Front end engineering and design activities are now completed for the offshore section.
Meanwhile, project contractor Saipem is working on detailed engineering of the submerged trunkline. Almost 300-tonne of pipes have been supplied for the first offshore string. Pipeline sections for the deep water section are currently being welded in the port of Burgas, on the coast of Bulgaria.
South Stream Transport is a joint project company (with Gazprom holding 50%, Eni 25%, and Wintershall and EDF 15% each.