Gazprom informed that the construction of the TurkStream gas pipeline has started in the Black Sea near the Russian coast.

Pipelaying is carried out by the Audacia vessel owned by Allseas, the construction contractor for both strings of the gas pipeline’s offshore section. The vessel will be also used for pipe pulling through microtunnels.

Construction works for the TurkStream gas pipeline in the deep-water area will be performed by the Pioneering Spirit pipe-laying vessel.

“Today, we started the practical implementation of the TurkStream gas pipeline project: pipe-laying within the offshore section. By late 2019, our Turkish and European consumers will have a new, reliable source of Russian gas imports,” said Alexey Miller, chairman of the Gazprom management committee.

TurkStream is the project for a transit-free export gas pipeline stretching across the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey and further to Turkey’s border with neighboring countries. The first string of the gas pipeline is intended for Turkish consumers, while the second string will deliver gas to southern and southeastern Europe. Each string will have the throughput capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas per year.