Nord Stream 2, TurkStream on Schedule: Gazprom

All three of Gazprom's gas export pipeline projects are on schedule, with the announcement June 19 that Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream were on track to meet their start dates, and the earlier announcement that the Power of Siberia line would start up in December.

But time is running out for Nord Stream 2, as a long section of pipeline, around Denmark, cannot be laid until Copenhagen has approved a route. It is expected to start late, meaning that Gazprom will have to continue sending gas through Ukraine in 2020 for which no contract has yet been signed. The present contract expires December 31.

To date, about 1,450 km, or more than 59%, have been laid in the Baltic Sea. Pipelaying is currently underway in Finnish waters. In addition, onshore facilities are being built within the Russian and German sections, it said. And the work onshore on the northern gas transmission corridor, which will, inter alia, feed gas into Nord Stream 2, is also proceeding.

As part of the project for creating gas transmission capacities between Gryazovets and the Slavyanskaya compressor station (CS) in northwestern Russia, 858 km of pipes have been welded within the 876-km section, which is planned to go into operation this year. Works at the Slavyanskaya CS are at the final stage, it said.

With regard to TurkStream, the offshore section under the Black Sea is complete and the Russkaya CS at the Russian coast and the landfall section in Russia are ready to operate. Meanwhile, the receiving terminal in Turkey is four-fifths built. Deliveries are due to start late this year.