The company initially tasked with building the South Stream project opened an office in Turkey, Istanbul to realize the TurkStream gas pipeline in joint efforts with its Turkish counterparts, according to Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller’s announcement on March 30, 2017.

According to Mr. Miller, the drilling of the first micro-tunnel in TurkStream’s Russian section is now finished, and the second micro-tunnel is at 98.5-percent completion.

Mr. Miller hailed the opening of the office in Istanbul as a very important step, adding that the prerequisites for laying the pipeline offshore are now fulfilled. The Russian executive emphasized that the project will now enter an active phase of construction.

At this time, hydrographic surveying is underway in Turkey’s territorial waters. An environmental impact study covering TurkStream’s remaining section is also in the works. Mr. Miller anticipates that the offshore laying of the pipeline will begin in the second half of 2017 and that both strands of the project will be completed by the conclusion of 2019.

The terrain at the pipeline’s Russian landfall point features steep, rugged cliffs that run along a narrow strip of coastline. Micro-tunneling was the solution the engineers chose to pass through this region without having to do surface work. Once micro-tunneling is done, the trenches will be re-filled and cultivated, such that the pipeline itself will not be in sight.