Gazprom Has Green Light Offshore Turkey

Russian Gazprom has received through diplomatic channels permission to conduct research on two branches of Turkish Stream in Turkey's territorial waters, the Russian company reported.

"It should be noted the constructive, efficient cooperation with Turkish partners of the project. The TurkStream project is progressing at commendable speed. An important new resolution for its implementation has been obtained," CEO Alexei Miller said September 30.

Russia's president Vladimir Putin is expected to visit to Turkey in October, both his spokesman Dmitri Peskov and the head of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Rifat Hisarcıklıoglu announced this week.

Peskov did not elaborate on Putin’s agenda, but Hisarcıklıoglu said that his visit would focus on a number of issues including Turkish Stream.

Route of Turkish Stream

(Credit: Gazprom)

Gazprom and Turkish Botas in December 2014 signed a memorandum of understanding on building Turkish Stream. The pipeline will follow 660 km of the old South Stream corridor in the Black Sea and then strike out in a new direction for 250 km towards the European part of Turkey. South Stream was to have landed in Bulgaria. Up to 15.75bn m³/yr will go to Turkey in the first of possibly four strands.

Russia has said it hopes to sign an agreement with Turkey in October on the implementation of the Turkish Stream project which Gazprom operates.

Azerbaijan desk