Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee took part today in the Board of Directors meeting of the South Stream Transport B.V. joint company in Amsterdam (the Netherlands). The Board members noted a significant progress of the project. They approved the signing of pipe supply contracts for the first out of four lines of the 931-kilometer offshore gas pipeline and gave a mandate to complete the negotiations on the pipe laying work.

The South Stream Transport B.V. joint company is going to sign contracts for procurement of some 75,000 pipes (diameter – 813 and wall thickness – 39 millimeters) on January 29, 2014. Shortly after, the company will launch a tender for supplying pipes for the second offshore line.

The Board of Directors noted that the negotiations with potential contractors were progressing fast and confirmed that construction contracts for the offshore section should be signed by the end of March 2014.