Saipem, other Italian cos eye Nord Stream, TurkStream projects
ROME. Oct 5 (Interfax) - Italian companies, in particular Saipem, are showing an interest in the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream gas pipeline projects.
"There is interest from our Italian partners. It's no secret: Saipem is participating in the relevant procedures that Gazprom is carrying out for Nord Stream and TurkStream," Deputy Russian Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said.
Saipem built the existing first two Nord Stream lines. It was hired to lay the undersea section of the South Stream gas pipeline, and then the Turkish Stream pipeline, but, when talks with Ankara on an intergovernmental agreement were halted due to political conflict, Gazprom called the deal with Saipem off, citing inability to reach agreement.
Saipem sued Gazprom subsidiary South Stream Transport B.V. for 759 million euros at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris on November 10, 2015, but this did not stop the two companies from agreeing to hire Saipem for Nord Stream 2.
Gazprom confirmed in May that it had purchased its own Jascon 18 (new name Akademik Chersky) pipe laying vessel, which will enable the Russian gas giant to build offshore gas pipelines itself without having to worry about international sanctions.
