Gazprom’s chairman Alexey Miller might come to Bucharest this week to speak with local authorities about the South Stream gas pipeline project.
According to media reports, Miller is expected to arrive in Bucharest Wednesday and to stay here for maximum two days.
Former Economy Minister, Adriean Videanu met Gazprom representatives in Moscow in June this year to discuss about possible partnerships in several energy projects. At that time, Videanu said local authorities will give Gazprom all the data regarding the feasibility study and Romania’s participation in the South Stream gas pipeline.
In September, a Russian delegation in charge with the South Stream project met with representatives of Romania’s Economy and Foreign Affairs Ministries and several officials at local gas companies Romgaz, Transgaz and Conpet to discuss potential joint projects, with main focus on the setting up of underground gas storage facilities in Romania.
South Stream will have a length of 900 km and is estimated to transport 63 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually.
The project is seen as rival to the planned Nabucco pipeline a EUR 7.9 billion, in which Romania already committed to participate. Nabucco is scheduled to deliver approximately 31 billion cubic meters of gas annually from the Caspian Sea to Central Europe via Turkey and Romania, bypassing Russia. Both projects are due for completion sometime in 2015.
D.V.