Gazprom is remembered about the project to expand the pipeline bypassing Ukraine.

KommentariiPodruga podkinula problem26.03.2009V Russia recognized as threatening to "gas" declaration, signed by Yulia Tymoshenko, Gazprom and Turkey have begun to elaborate a project to expand a gas pipeline "Blue Stream" (Blue Stream), which is under the Black Sea, bypassing Ukraine, the Kommersant daily.
This is the project "Blue Stream - 2", which envisages the construction of the third threads in parallel with the gas pipeline "Blue Stream" gas transport infrastructure in Turkey, as well as the maritime pipeline to Israel. Negotiations on the construction of branches in Israel will begin after the formation of the Government.
While the parties have not called or a new pipeline capacity, nor the timing of its construction.
"Blue Stream" on an equal footing belongs to Gazprom and the Italian concern Eni. He crosses the Black Sea from the north to the south of Russia in the Asian part of Turkey.
Now the two branches "Blue Stream" with capacity of 8 billion cubic meters of gas a year each in 2008, it was prokachano total of 10 billion cubic meters. According to experts, the third branch pipeline will cost 2.7 billion dollars.
Turkey is one of the largest customer of Gazprom outside the CIS. In 2008, Gazprom exported to Turkey 23.8 billion cubic meters of gas through Ukraine and on the Blue Stream, and Turkey came to Germany after the second largest natural gas purchases from Russia.
Interestingly, Moscow and Ankara to make a formal announcement of the resumption of the project "Blue Stream - 2" in the midst of a new gas conflict in Russia, Ukraine and Europe.
Kommersant said that Russia and Turkey had ceased to discuss the expansion of the pipeline two years ago, when Gazprom has a new project - "South Stream". This pipeline will pass under the Black Sea and the territory of the Balkan countries in Central and Southern Europe.
At the same time, Turkey has become one of the competing parties to the European project Nabucco, which involves construction of a pipeline from the Caspian region via Turkey to Europe, bypassing Russia. "South Stream" is considered a competitor for Nabucco. Earlier, Turkey had threatened to withdraw from the EU Nabucco, which would reduce the dependence of EU gas supplies from Russia.