TurkStream Technological Advancements

The TurkStream offshore pipeline has been one of the most challenging projects in the offshore oil and gas industry in the last decade. It is a major gas-transmission system that is pivotal to the transport of natural gas from the large Siberian reservoirs to the Turkish and European markets. The system consists of two subsea pipeline strings of more than 900 km each that cross the Black Sea through water depths of up to 2,200 m. Its large outer diameter of 32 inches makes it possible to transport a massive amount-31.5 billion cubic metres-of natural gas per year from the Russian to the Turkish shore. A very thick wall of 39 mm is needed to ensure structural integrity. The sheer size of the system and the conditions in which it operates come with many challenges. Several are discussed in this paper, which focuses on the work carried out between 2010 and 2019, before the pipeline commenced operations. Available technologies had to be advanced to the next level on many fronts to ensure the success of this project.