The date of the launch of construction of the offshore section of the Nord Stream gas pipeline has been moved from 2008 to July of 2009, Nord Stream AG Managing Director Matthias Warnig told a press conference today, RBC reports. According to Warnig, the laying of the pipeline will begin in July 2009, with construction expected to be completed in 2010. Nord Stream Technical Director Sergei Sedyukov also did not rule out the possibility of a postponement in the completion of the project by two months in total.
According to Serdyukov, the company still hopes to complete work by the end of September 2010, but noted that the launch of pipe laying could be delayed due to approval procedures, which must be obtained from all the countries concerned.