Russ Oil-Gas

Oct. 30, 2006 Kommersant - Gazprom set to elaborating feasibility studies for gas pipelines running through Turkey in an effort to triple the Blue Steam’s shipment. The aim of this move of the gas monopoly of Russia could be preventing Iran, Transcaucasia and Middle Asia from delivering gas to Europe. And the fears of Gazprom appear well-justified. The first Azeri gas will reach Turkey in a fortnight.
On Friday, Gazprom BOD focused on the foreign economic strategy of the monopoly in time when the transit role of Turkey is stepping up. After Germany and Italy, Turkey is the third buyer of Russia’s gas in terms of the volume. Gazprom spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov said the matter at stake is creating a South European Corridor based on the existing Blue Stream that will run under the Black Sea to Turkey's Samsun port. Gazprom is elaborating feasibility studies for two gas pipelines. The first one is expected to cross Turkey from east to west, shipping gas to northern Italy via the Bosphorus Strait. The second pipeline will run from southern to northern Turkey and connect the Black Sea’s Samsun with Ceyhan of the Mediterranean Sea. The facility could be used to ship gas to Israel. The BOD’s decision was to recommend improving the Samsun-Ceyhan feasibility study in tandem with Israeli partners. The feasibility study for Italian pipeline is to be perfected in cooperation with Hungarian MOL till late this year. MOL could be both the project investor and consumer of gas, Gazprom representatives said some time earlier.