Page 12 - EurOil Week 22

EurOil PIPELINES & TRANSPORT EurOil

Bulgarian PM Boyko
Borisov and Serbian
President Alexander
Vucic inspect the
construction site.

Bulgaria still on track to finish

TurkStream extension in 2020

BULGARIA BULGARIA aims to wrap up work on its sec- being delivered to these bases on a daily basis.
tion of the Balkan Stream, an extension of Rus- Neighbouring Serbia finished its 403-km sec-
Bulgaria has been sia’s TurkStream gas pipeline, by the end of this tion of the Balkan Stream in late March, although
blamed by Russia for year, despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, it is still working on support infrastructure.
stalling on the project. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on June 1. Meanwhile, Hungary plans to triple the
Balkan Stream will pump TurkStream gas capacity of a pipeline link with Slovakia by 2024
through Bulgaria and Serbia and into Hun- to 5bn cubic metres (bcm) per year, in order to
gary, enabling Russia to cut transit volumes via carry gas from Balkan Stream, the country’s for-
Ukraine and potentially boost sales in Europe. eign minister, Peter Szijjarto, said on June 2.
Bulgaria had initially said it would complete
its 474-km stretch of the pipeline by the end Greek deal
of 2019. But work was slow to start because of Another key market for Russian gas in southeast
delays finalising the award of a €1.1bn ($1.2bn) Europe is Greece. Gazprom announced on June
construction contract to Saudi-led group Arkad. 1 it had struck a new 10-year gas supply deal with
State gas grid operator Bulgartransgaz did not Greek industrial conglomerate Mytilineos.
secure financing to cover advanced payments The Russian gas exporter did not say how
until late October. The delays irked Moscow, much gas the contract covered. But it has been
with Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing supplying Mytilineos since 2017 and sold the
Sofia in December of intentionally obstructing company 588mn cubic metres (mcm) of gas last
the project. year.
“Despite the coronavirus, no matter how “The co-operation between Gazprom Export
difficult it was, work has not stopped on ... the and Mytilineos proves the demand for Rus-
Balkan Stream,” Borissov told reporters after sian gas in the Greek market and will further
inspecting construction with Serbian President strengthen the interaction between our coun-
Alexander Vucic. “Let’s hope that coronavirus is tries in the energy sector,” Gazprom Export head
gone. And despite two to three months’ delay we Elena Burmistrova said in a statement.
hope to meet the timeline and have it ready by Mytilineos is involved in various activities,
the end of the year.” including gas and electricity trade, power gener-
According to a government statement, ation and metallurgy.
around 91.4 km of pipes have been positioned Gazprom’s overall sales to Greece came to
in prepared trenches. The remainder are either 2.4 bcm per year, down 26.7% versus the level
at temporary construction bases along the pipe- in 2018, partly because of stiff competition from
line’s route, or are at the port of Bourgas and LNG suppliers. ™

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 22 04•June•2020