Pioneering Spirit vessel has started TurkStream pipelaying operations along the specially developed route in Black Sea.
The vessel, installing the first line of the TurkStream gas pipeline, passed KP660 in the Black Sea near the border of Bulgarian Exclusive Economic Zone.
The already laid section of the offshore route is located in the pipelay corridor approved earlier for the South Stream gas pipeline.
According to the company, at the moment, Pioneering Spirit is laying pipe along the new section of the specially developed for TurkStream route towards the Kiyikoy settlement in accordance with the permits obtained from the Republic of Turkey.
In total, 884 kilometers of both lines have been installed, representing about 48% of the offshore section of the pipeline.
The TurkStream pipeline will consist of two parallel gas pipelines stretching for 930 kilometers across the Black Sea, each with a diameter of 81 centimeters and an annual throughput capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters.
The first gas is expected to flow through TurkStream by the end of 2019.