Blue Stream is a major trans-Black Sea gas pipeline that carries natural gas to Turkey from Russia. The pipeline was constructed in 2001–02 by the Blue Stream Pipeline B.V., the Netherlands based joint venture of Russian Gazprom and Italian Eni, and began operation in 2003. The Blue Stream Pipeline B.V. is an owner of the subsea section of pipeline, including Beregovaya compressor station, while Gazprom owns and operates the Russian land section of the pipeline and the Turkish land section is owned and operated by the Turkish energy company BOTAŞ. According to Gazprom the pipeline was built with the intent of diversifying Russian gas delivery routes to Turkey and avoiding third countries.
History
Preparations of the pipeline project started in 1997.[1] In 1997, Gazprom and BOTAŞ signed a 25-year gas sale contract.[2] One of the political goals of the Blue Stream project was to block the path of rival countries aiming to use the territory of Turkey to bring gas from the