Over 50 percent of construction on first Turkish Stream pipeline completed

Merve İdil/ Kazım Ataer - NOVY URENGOY

More than 50 percent of the construction pipeline that will supply Turkey with Russian natural gas under the Turkish Stream project has been completed. 

The Turkish Stream project envisages the construction of two pipelines, each 939 kilometers long.

One of the two pipelines has already reached the Turkey-Russia Exclusive Economic Zone, while over 530 kilometers of pipes have been laid along the first string that will carry Russian natural gas to Turkey.

The natural gas provided by the first pipeline alone will meet 35 percent of Turkey’s natural gas consumption.

The second pipeline will carry Russian natural gas to Europe. The progress on the construction of the second line will depend on from where Russian natural gas will enter Europe, the relevant natural gas agreements to be signed and the route.

The first stream of gas is expected to flow through the pipeline in December 2019.

Two lines will have a total throughput capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

The Turkish Stream will deliver Russian natural gas across the Black Sea to Turkey and then onto Europe.

Natural gas extracted from Novy Urengoy in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region in Russia’s Siberia will feed the Turkish Stream pipeline. The field, operated by the Russian energy giant Gazprom, sits on an estimated natural gas reserve of 12 trillion cubic meters, the second largest in the world after Iran’s Southern Pars field.

Natural gas produced in the field is also transferred to Germany, Poland, Austria, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

A single gas field in Novy Urengoy, such as the 16th gas field, which employs 3,700 workers, can produce enough natural gas to meet Turkish Stream’s annual 31.5 billion cubic meters of capacity.