Gazprom has received documents for a feasibility study of the South Stream gas pipeline's Romanian section, the Russian energy giant said Wednesday.

"The Romanian side has confirmed interest in participation in the South Stream project and passed on to the Russian side the earlier requested data necessary to draft a feasibility study of the gas pipeline's route via Romania," Gazprom said.

The South Stream project, designed to annually pump 31 billion cubic meters of Central Asian and Russian gas to the Balkans and on to other European countries, involves Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Italy and Greece.

The pipeline's capacity could be eventually increased to 63 billion cubic meters annually. The gas pipeline is expected to start operating in late 2015. The project is part of Russia's efforts to cut dependence on transit nations. It is a rival project to the EU-backed Nabucco, which would bypass Russia.

Gazprom said Tuesday that it is set to sign an agreement with Bulgaria on a joint venture that will clear the way for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline across the southeast European state.

Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement on the South Stream gas project with the Socialist-led Bulgarian government in January 2008.

MOSCOW, February 17 (RIA Novosti)