Pipeliners

RBC, 27.10.2008, Moscow 19:58:59 – The Russian government today ratified an intergovernmental agreement between Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan on cooperation in building the Pre-Caspian gas pipeline, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov told journalists today. The accord was signed by the countries on December 20, 2007. Russian Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky announced earlier that his ministry was hoping Russia would ratify the document by the end of 2008. The pipeline is expected to pump up to 10bn cubic meters of natural gas per year from Turkmenistan and around the same volume from Kazakhstan. Construction is projected to start in the second half of 2009 and completed no later than in 2010. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov and Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller expressed their interest in starting the laying of the pipeline as soon as possible.