At the end of 2014 Gasprom paid European companies-partners, including Eni, EDF and Wintershall, about $1 billion for the shares in the South Stream Transport BV companies created to build the South Stream gas pipeline, reads the report of Russian holding.
Purchase of the shares cost Gasprom 56.12 billion rubles, which makes about $1 billion based on the rate at the end of last year. The deal was announced at the end of December 2014, but its sum was not named then.
The holding paid Italian ENI for the 20% share – 22.4 billion rubles, to French EDF and German Wintershall for 15% shares each – 16.8 billion rubles each.
Interfax claims referring a well-informed source that Gasprom was not obliged to buy the shares, but decided to do that to maintain the contract of the South Stream Transport to lay the pipe with the Italian Saipem construction company, which has received permission from the Italian authorities. According to the agency, the pipes have been already made and they are currently in the Bulgarian Varna port.
Saipem pipe-laying fleet, which was supposed to lay the South Stream is also currently in Burgas. According to Interfax, Gasprom continues paying for the fleet’s idle time expecting to receive permission for construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline.
Interfax claims that Turkey has not permitted the survey works yet, because in exchange it would like to get a discount for gas price as well as increase in the volume of gas export and expanding of the Blue Stream.
