Zee Beam News

05-21-2009 - Upstream OnLine - The construction of the ground section of the Nord Stream gas pipeline is “entering the home stretch”, Gazprom board chair Valery Golubev said today. The Gryazevets-Vyborg pipeline, which is the ground section of the Nord Stream pipeline, is 917 kilometres, of which 597 kilometres run in the Leningrad region. Four compressor stations will be located in the region. The maritime section of the gas pipeline will begin from the last of them, Portovaya, and run to Germany. “There is no doubt that the remaining 320 kilometres will be built by 2010 so that the gas pipeline could be commissioned by the middle of next year,” he said in an Itar-Tass report. Meanwhile, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said environmental issues might affect the Nord Stream project schedule. "We think that current processes related to the acquisition of permissions, including environmental ones, will be completed shortly," the minister said during a video conference between Moscow and Berlin earlier this week. "Nevertheless the Gazprom and Nord Stream companies are taking measures to make up for possible delays, I mean delays in full performance of work on the Russian side," Shmatko said. Gazprom has a 51%stake in the joint venture and BASF (Wintershall and E.ON Rurhgas) have equal shares of 20% each. The Netherlands' N.V. Nederlandse Gasunies has 9%.