(MENAFN- Trend News Agency ) Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.4
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The first pipeline of the TurkStream Offshore Gas Pipeline entered the Turkish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), said the message on the website of the project's operator.
Pioneering Spirit, world's largest pipelay and construction vessel, marked the occasion by laying down on the seabed the section of the pipeline with Russian and Turkish flags, symbolizing the crossing of the EEZ border between the two countries.
'The border crossing also marks the completion of construction of the two offshore lines within the Russian EEZ. In total 448 kilometers of the pipeline were laid down, equally divided over the two lines. Construction of nearly 25 percent of the offshore pipeline section has been realized in less than six months. This is in line with the planned construction schedule. First gas is expected to flow through TurkStream in December 2019,' said the message.
After reaching the border of the EEZ with one line, Pioneering Spirit returned towards Anapa to commence deepwater pipelaying with the other line.
Pioneering Spirit will now continue the pipelay activities with one pipeline all the way close to the Turkish landfall. The two TurkStream pipelines will come ashore in Turkey near the town of Kiyikoy, which is located approximately 100 kilometers west of Istanbul.
The average speed of pipelaying by Pioneering Spirit is in excess of 4 kilometers per day, with a record set by the Allseas crew on 1 November 2017 by constructing 5.15 kilometers of Turkstream pipeline in one day. The water depth at the EEZ boundary is approximately 2,171 meters, which is close to the deepest part of the TurkStream route (2,198 meters).
TurkStream project envisages construction of two branches of the main gas pipeline under the Black Sea, the capacity of each branch being 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas.
One branch is meant to supply gas directly to the Turkish market and the other for the supply of gas by transit through Turkey to Europe. The intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Turkey also stipulates that these two offshore branches should be built by December 2019.
On Dec.8, 2016, South Stream Transport B.V., 100-percent subsidiary of Gazprom, signed a contract with Swiss Allseas Group on constructing the first line of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline's offshore segment.
Later in February 2017, the two companies inked an agreement on constructing the second line of the pipeline's offshore section.
---
Follow the author on Twitter:
MENAFN0411201701870000ID1096037648
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.