MOSCOW, April 21,  /ITAR-TASS/. 

Russia’s gas giant Gazprom and Turkey will discuss how to increase the annual capacity of the Blue Stream gas pipeline from 16 billion cu m to 19 billion cu m, Gazprom said on Monday.

The statement followed a meeting between Gazprom Export Chief Alexander Medvedev and Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz held in the Turkish capital Ankara.

“The participants in the meeting discussed development of gas cooperation between Gazprom and Turkey, including a possibility of increasing the annual capacity of the Blue Stream gas pipeline from 16 billion cubic meters to 19 billion cubic meters. The sides agreed to discuss the matter in detail,” Gazprom said, noting the task of increasing the pipeline’s capacity would not require the construction of any additional lines.

In 2011, the Blue Stream project received a certificate proving that Gazprom could technically increase the carrying capacity of the pipeline’s underwater section, which runs on the bottom of the Black Sea, by 20% from 16 billion cubic meters to more than 19 billion cubic meters.

Turkey is the world’s second biggest importer of Russian gas after Germany. In 2013, Gazprom supplied 26.61 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey by an overland route and on the Blue Stream.

The 1,213 km-long Blue Stream gas pipeline with a capacity of 16 billion cu m was launched in December 2002 for direct gas deliveries to Turkish gas consumers via the bottom of the Black Sea. The Blue Stream became part of a gas transportation corridor from Russia to Turkey which runs through Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria. It has intensified the development of the Turkish gas market.