/ world today news/ “Gazprom” does not plan to change the route of the underwater section of the “South Stream” gas pipeline, which will connect the Russian Black Sea coast with the Bulgarian one. This was stated by a representative of the Information Management of the gas holding, reported the special envoy of BGNES from Novi Urengoy, Georgi Pashkulev.
Last week, information appeared in the world media that the route of “South Stream” could be changed after the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation. According to these publications, the change will affect the underwater section, which will be shortened because it will start from Crimea, and not as planned so far.
“There are no plans to change the route, nor have we done studies for such a change,” said Jasper Jensen, spokesman for the South Stream company, which deals with the realization of the gas pipeline.
“To change any route means starting almost a new project with all the surveys,” he explained, adding: To give you an example of this route, which is currently being worked on, we have surveyed more than 16,000 km .
“We have already signed contracts for the first two lines and the construction contract has also been signed. This contract includes the construction of the four sections. Obviously, there are no plans to change,” Jensen stressed.
BGNES reminds that the “South Stream” gas pipeline aims to diversify the route of Russian gas supplies to the countries of the European Union, bypassing problematic countries such as Ukraine. The pipe has a capacity of 63 billion cubic meters. gas per year. It will include four sections, each of which will have a capacity of 15.57 billion cubic meters. The construction of “South Stream” is expected to be completed by the end of 2015, and the first gas is expected to flow through it already in December of the same year or at the latest at the beginning of 2016.
In the construction of the underwater section, which will connect the Russian Black Sea coast with the Bulgarian one, in addition to “Gazprom” (which holds 50%/), the Italian ENI /20%/, the German “Wintershall” /15%/ and the French “Electrites de France” / 15%/.
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