Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom has started construction of the shallow-water section of Turkstream gas export pipeline across the Black Sea to Turkey, as it prepares for the deep-water pipelaying job to begin later this summer.

According to Gazprom, the job to bring the pipeline from the shore into the shallow-water zone in the Russian sector of the Black Sea will be carried out by the Audacia pipelay vessel, owned and operated by Swiss specialist marine contractor Allseas since 2007.