Russia’s Gazprom declines Turkey’s request for 3 bcm of gas via Blue Stream pipeline: CEO

MOSCOW

REUTERS photo

Gazprom has declined to provide Turkey with an additional 3 billion cubic meters of gas via the existing Blue Stream pipeline, chief executive Alexei Miller said on Oct. 8, as reported by Reuters.However, at least 2 billion cubic meters could by shipped via the planned Turkish Stream pipeline, Miller said.The decision came amid rising tensions over Syria between Turkey and Russia.Turkey is heavily dependent on Russia for natural gas. Last year it bought 27.4 bcm of gas through the Blue Stream and Transbalkan pipeline, known as the Western line in Turkey. That figure is equivalent to more than half of its gas imports.Gazprom also halved the planned capacity of its Turkish Stream gas pipeline project to 32 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year from an original capacity of 63 bcm, Miller said on Oct. 6.The Turkish Stream pipeline is an alternative to Russia’s South Stream pipeline project to bring gas to Europe without crossing Ukraine, which was dropped last year due to objections from the European Commission.Miller, addressing an industry conference on Oct. 6, said Gazprom now planned to supply up to 32 bcm via Turkish Stream because it also plans to expand Nord Stream gas pipeline, which runs on the bed of the Baltic Sea to Germany.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had claimed late on Oct. 6 that “there are other places Turkey could get gas and other countries that could build its first nuclear plant,” Hürriyet reported.