Russian giant Gazprom said that the final weld that connects the offshore and the nearshore sections of TurkStream was completed, marking the finalization of the entire pipeline system in the Black Sea.
The procedure, known technically as ‘Above Water Tie-In,’ involved retrieving the nearshore pipeline and offshore pipeline from the seabed, lifting them above water and welding them together. The total weight that had to be lifted for the operation was approximately 409 tons.
Following an inspection of the weld, the pipe was lowered to the seabed at a depth of 32 meters. This operation was carried out on both lines in Russian waters in January and February this year, and near the Turkish coast in March.
The pipelaying in deep waters was carried out by Pioneering Spirit, while the shallow-water pipelaying was conducted by Lorelay.
With the completion of the Above Water Tie-In procedure, a physical connection between the landfall facility near the Russian city of Anapa and the receiving terminal near Kiyikoy in Turkish Thrace is realized.
Russkaya Compressor Station, which will provide the necessary pressure for the gas to traverse through the Black Sea, and the Anapa landfall facility of the TurkStream pipeline system are already complete and on stand-by.
With the completion of the receiving terminal in Kiyikoy later this year, TurkStream will be ready to commence operations. Natural gas flow through TurkStream is planned to start by the end of 2019.