Russia has decided against the construction of the 930-km South Stream natural gas pipeline across the Black Sea from Russia to Bulgaria, citing delays on the part of the European Union in taking the steps necessary to move forward. Press reports have OAO Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller as confirming the decision originally announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Miller and Mehmet Konuk, chairman of Botas Petroleum Pipeline Corp. , signed a memorandum of understanding Dec. 1 on instead building an offshore gas pipeline from the Russkaya compressor station (also South Stream’s starting point) under construction in the Krasnodar Territory across the Black Sea to Turkey. Putin and Turkish President Recep Erdogan witnessed the signing. Turkey in July had approved South Stream’s environmental impact assessment, including pipelay for the 63-billion cu m (bcm)/year project’s four parallel strings in its exclusive economic zone […]