Russia wants to send gas to Europe via a different route

Today, 42.7 million cubic meters of natural gas flows through Ukraine to Europe via another pipeline. That’s just over the 41.3 million cubic meters of natural gas that came through the Sudan pipeline on Friday, but it wouldn’t be enough to make up for the gas supplies missed by the Nord Stream 1 shutdown.

The pipeline was closed on Wednesday for a three-day maintenance. Two days later, Gazprom reported that it had discovered an oil leak. The company claims to have shut down the pumping system at a compressor station near Portovaya, near the Finnish border. At such a station, the gas is placed under such high pressure that it can flow through the pipeline through the Baltic Sea to Germany. According to Gazprom, it is impossible to predict when the gas will flow through Nord Stream 1 again.

Rewatch: Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline remains shut down due to ‘oil spill’

‘technical problems’

The announcement that Nord Stream 1 will be shut down for maintenance has been received with suspicion in Europe. Klaus Müller, head of the German energy supply regulator Bundesnetzagentur, found this explanation incomprehensible from a technical point of view. In addition, German energy company Siemens, which usually maintains Nord Stream 1 turbines, said the pipeline should not shut down due to an oil leak. The company also said there are other turbines at the compressor station to keep Nord Stream 1 running.

Then Gazprom claimed that there was no place for Siemens Energy to carry out repairs. However, according to Siemens, the work can be carried out on site and “within the limits of routine maintenance.”

Gazprom had already cut gas supplies to Germany via Nord Stream 1 to 20 percent of its maximum capacity before Wednesday’s shutdown. The gas company also gave reason for “technical problems” that the company would not be able to solve due to Western sanctions. European leaders view closing the Russian gas tap primarily as a means of political pressure.