Offshore staff
MOSCOW – Near-shore works have started for the TurkStream offshore gas pipeline through the Black Sea close to the Turkish town of Kiyiköy.
According to the project’s operator Gazprom, the program involves constructing seabed trenches around 2.4 km (1.5 mi) long from the shoreline into the sea in order to bury the pipes for protection against wave action and to avoid fishing interaction.
Offshore trenching could take up to eight weeks to complete.
Gazprom hired independent third-party specialists to prepare an environmental impact assessment (EIA) to determine the best route for the pipeline and potential impacts related to this activity.
The studies showed the near-shore work would have only limited impact on the local fishing industry, and Turkey’s Ministry of Environment and Urbanization approved the EIA last September.
“We are pleased to be in line with our construction schedule to ensure that gas deliveries start by the end of 2019,” said TurkStream spokesman Sander van Rootselaar.
In parallel,Allseas’Pioneering Spirit is progressing offshore construction of the second line, while landfall facilities on the Russian side of the Black Sea, near the city of Anapa, should be completed later this year.
Thefirst TurkStream pipeline is dedicated to Turkish consumers, while the second line will supply gas to southern and southeastern Europe.
Each line will have throughput capacity of 15.75 bcm. South Stream Transport is responsible for construction of the pipeline system’s offshore section.
07/24/2018
