South Stream Transport Readies for Black Sea Offshore Pipeline Lay

Holland's South Stream Transport has signed an option agreement with the Bulgarian ports of Varna and  Burgas  for the storage and handling of pipe segments in Black Sea coastal 'marshalling yards prior to commencement of the huge project.

The South Stream Offshore Pipeline will consist of four parallel pipelines through the Black Sea, each made up of over 75,000 pipe segments. The pipes will be stored in so-called marshalling yards at harbours on the shore in Bulgaria, and shipped to specialized pipe-laying vessels when construction starts in 2014. The Port of Burgas and the Port of Varna East and the Port of Varna West will be used for marshalling yards and related logistics services during pipeline construction, for a period of 4 to 6 years.

Oleg Aksyutin, CEO of South Stream Transport: "The marshalling yards in Bulgaria will play a key role in the logistics for laying the offshore pipeline and we are very happy to have come to an agreement with the two Bulgarian ports. This brings additional business to Bulgaria and at the same time ensures timely implementation of the South Stream Offshore Pipeline."

South Stream Transport adds that it will develop an Environmental Management Plan to take into account birds and other flora and fauna in the vicinity of the South Stream Offshore Pipeline Project.