Blue Stream pipeline could start commercial gas supplies in February

Russia's gas giant Gazprom could start commercial gas supplies to Turkey via the Blue Stream gas pipeline on February 3, 2002, the press service of the gas holding reported to RBC. A protocol on putting the pipeline in operation was signed on December 30, 2002; its official launch is scheduled for February 3, 2003. Industrial gas supplies are most likely to start on this day, too. It is planned to supply 2 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey in 2003. The pipeline is to reach its planned capacity of 16 billion cubic meters per year in 2008.

It is worth mentioning that the Russian part of the Blue Stream system includes 370 kilometers of over-land pipeline and 396 kilometers of sea-bottom pipeline.

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