Pipeliners

17 October 2008 - Upstream OnLine - Russian gas giant Gazprom said today it is considering building a new gas pipeline via Romania, as Russia seeks more partners to join its South Stream pipeline project. Gazprom said in a statement that its chief executive Alexei Miller had discussed gas co-operation with the head of Romanian state-owned gas pipeline operator Transgaz, Ioan Rusu, and the head of state-run gas producer Romgas, Francisc Toth, at a meeting in Moscow. "Prospects of co-operation in undeground gas storage issues were discussed at the meeting, as well as developing the existing transit capacities and creating new ones," Gazprom said in a statement after the meeting. It also said its delegation will go to Romania soon to discuss the issues in more detail. A Gazprom spokesman declined to provide more details on the projects. Gazprom is seeking more partners to join its and Italian player Eni's South Stream gas pipeline which will run Russian gas from the Black Sea to south-eastern Europe. Russia has already agreed to route the pipeline via Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary and Greece and is now in talks with Slovenia and Austria to join the project. Romania is a parter in another gas link, the EU and US-backed Nabucco pipeline, which is expected to rival South Stream and take Caspian Sea gas to southern Europe. Europe has repeatedly stressed Nabucco is key for it to reduce dependence on Russian energy supplies.