Nord Stream half-finished
The first Nord Stream pipeline which is being laid across the Baltic Sea is now half-way finished, the Nord Stream consortium confirms.
Nord Stream has now completed more than half of the first of its two 1,224 kilometre gas pipelines laid across the Baltic Sea, the company informs in a press release. The work is progressing in line with schedules, the company’s Managing Director Matthias Warnig says.
The pipelines, which will be a unique direct gas supply link from Russia to the EU, are to be completed in 2012. Then, up to 55 billion cubic meters of additional Russian gas can be sent to the European market. The first of the pipelines are to be completed in late 2011.
The pipelines are planned to pump also gas from the Shtokman project in the Barents Sea. The project has been met by fierce opposition by several of the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea.
Three pipelay vessels and a flotilla of support ships are currently engaged in the work. So far, they have operated in the waters of five countries.
The 7.4 billion EUR Nord Stream project is developed jointly by the companies Gazprom, BASF SE/Wintershall Holding GmbH, E.ON Ruhrgas, Gasunie and GDF SUEZ. Gazprom holds a 51 percent stake in the joint venture.
