White Stream

White Stream (also known as the Georgia-Ukraine-EU gas pipeline) is a proposed pipeline project to transport natural gas from the Caspian region to Ukraine and further to Poland.

History

For the first time the White Stream idea was presented by Ukrainian officials in 2005. In 2006-2007, the project was discussed at different international conferences. In May 2007, it was presented at the Vienna gas forum, and on 11 October 2007, it was presented during the summit-level Energy Security Conference in Vilnius.cite news
url= http://capital.trendaz.com/index.shtml?show=news&newsid=1211915&lang=EN
title=White Stream Gas Pipeline Double Profitable for Azerbaijan – Ukraine’s President
publisher=Trend Capital
author = A. Gasimova
date=2008-05-30
accessdate=2008-06-01] On 28 January 2008, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko asked the European Union to consider participating in White Stream project.cite news
url= http://www.neurope.eu/articles/82525.php
title= Tymoshenko puts new White Stream pipeline on EU table
publisher= New Europe
author = Kostis Geropoulos
date=2008-02-05
issue=767
accessdate=2008-06-01] Turkmenistan, which is supposed to be the main source of natural gas for White Stream, expressed his surprise by the statement of Tymoshenko because no negotiations have been held so far with Turkmenistan.cite news
url= http://korrespondent.net/business/economics/361314
title= Туркменистан удивлен газопроводными замыслами Тимошенко ("Turkmenistan is surprised by the gas pipeline idea of Tymoshenko")
publisher= Korrespondent.net
date=2008-01-31
accessdate=2008-06-01
language = Russian]

Route

The pipeline would branch off from the South Caucasus Pipeline near Tbilisi and run for approximately convert|100|km|mi|-1 via Georgia to Supsa at the Black Sea. From there a convert|650|km|mi|-1 long offshore section on the seabed of the Black Sea will continue to Crimea near Feodosia in Ukraine. The offshore section will be linked to Ukraine's transit system by convert|200|km|mi|-1 long onshore section. The alternative plan proposes to prolong the offshore pipeline to Romania.cite news
url= http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2371712
title= Trans-Black Sea pipeline can bring Caspian gas to Europe
publisher= Eurasia Daily Monitor
author = Vladimir Socor
date=2006-12-07
volume=3
issue=226
accessdate=2008-06-01]

Technical features

At the first stage the initial capacity of pipeline will be 8 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually. At this stage the pipeline would be supplied from the Shah Deniz gas field from the Azerbaijan's Caspian offshore sector. Later it could be possible to connect White Stream with planned Trans-Caspian Gas Pipelines. In this case the second leg of pipeline will be laid at the seabed and the total capacity of pipeline will increase to 24-32 bcm of gas annually.

The diameter of Georgian section will be convert|42|in|mm|0 for the onshore section and convert|24|in|mm|0 for the offshore section. In Crimea most likely existing convert|20|in|mm|0 diameter pipeline will be used.

Project company

The project is promoted by a London-based GUEU – White Stream Pipeline Company, led by Pipeline Systems Engineering (PSE) and Radon-Ishizumi consulting and engineering companies.cite news
url= http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2372497
title= White Stream: additional outlet proposed for Caspian gas to Europe
publisher= Eurasia Daily Monitor
author = Vladimir Socor
date=2007-10-12
volume=4
issue=189
accessdate=2008-06-01]

References