Russia starts pumping gas into Turkish Stream pipeline

"Filling the pipeline system with gas is a significant step toward the start of actual gas supplies to Turkey and South-East Europe through the new system of offshore gas pipelines," the operator said. The Russkaya Compressor Station, located on the Black Sea coast, provides the necessary pressure for gas coming from Gazprom's Unified Natural Gas Supply System to proceed under the sea.

The lines will be filled with gas from the landfall facility located in Russian Anapa to the receiving terminal in Kıyıköy on Turkey's Black Sea coast. The construction of the receiving terminal has also come to the final stage.

The project consists of 2 lines across the Black Sea, the 1st of which will serve Turkey with a capacity of 15.75 bcm, while the 2nd line is planned to serve Europe. Each pipeline is 930 km in length, laid at depths reaching 2,200 m. After the 1st line is filled with natural gas, preparations will begin on the 2nd line.

The project is the biggest-diameter offshore gas pipeline in the world laid at such depths. The world's biggest construction vessel, the Pioneering Spirit, carried out the deep-sea pipe laying.