South Stream receives Russian onshore construction permit

The Russian Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities has issued the construction permit for the Russian Sector of the South Stream Offshore Pipeline.

In accordance with the permit, South Stream Transport can start onshore construction activities for the Project in Russia. In line with Russian legislative procedures, a special permit for offshore pipe laying will be issued by Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation later this year.

The construction permits follows the approval of the Design Documentation, including the Russian Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), in March 2014.

The EIA Report was the result of extensive surveys and research done by Russian and international experts, and showed that the pipeline project will not have a significant adverse effect on the environment. These conclusions were supported by state experts as part of the Fisheries, Ecological and State Expert Review.

Start of onshore construction activities

The South Stream Offshore Pipeline will be comprised of four pipelines of 931 km across the Black Sea. On the Russian shore, South Stream Transport will construct landfall facilities and approximately 3 km of underground pipeline to connect to the Russian gas network of Gazprom.

The construction permit issued covers the construction of all onshore pipelines and facilities, including four micro-tunnels. The tunnels will have a diameter of about two meters and a length of 1400 m and allow installation of the pipelines at the shoreline without any construction works at the surface.

Following the permit, South Stream Transport has started with the preparation of construction sites and delivery of construction equipment and machinery to the site. In addition, the Company will be implementing a number of measures for environmental protection, such as the relocation of protected plants and animals to nearby habitats.

Pipelaying in Russian waters is scheduled to start in November 2014, after receiving the pipelaying permit from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology. The first pipeline is to be ready for operations by the end of 2015.

Adapted from press release by Hannah Priestley-Eaton

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/01072014/south_stream_receives_russian_onshore_construction_permit/