Gazprom, Turkey agree to expand Blue Stream capacity

OAO Gazprom and Turkey have agreed to expand the Blue Stream gas pipeline’s capacity to 19 billion cu m (bcm)/year from 16 bcm/year “to satisfy the growing demand of Turkish consumers.”

Gazprom said the Beregovaya compressor station in Russia and the Durusu receiving terminal in Turkey will be upgraded to increase the capacity of the line, which traverses the Black Sea (OGJ Online, Apr. 22, 2014).

In addition to Blue Stream, Russian gas is supplied to Turkey by the Trans-Balkan pipeline. Total supplies in 2014 are expected to reach 30 bcm, up from 26.6 bcm in 2013.

The expansion announcement coincided with a meeting in Moscow between Alexey Miller, chairman of the Gazprom management committee, and Taner Yildiz, Turkey’s minister of energy and natural resources.