Posted on 01/03/2006 12:49:29 PM PST by jb6
ESSEN, GERMANY - Germany's two main gas importing companies, E.on Ruhrgas and Wingas, confirmed Tuesday they were again receiving the full contractual amounts of gas by pipeline, two days after Russia had ceased pumping gas in a dispute with Ukraine.
One of the companies said the evidence at the receiving end showed that Ukraine had again been siphoning off gas intended for the West.
Gazprom had earlier assured customers west of Ukraine that it would compensate them for supplies that went missing from pipes that lead across Ukrainian territory, and accused Ukraine of theft.
"The pressure in the pipelines has been normal again since this morning," said Andreas Reichel,
a spokesman for E.on-Ruhrgas in Essen, Germany. On Monday, one of the two east-west pipelines crossing Ukraine had supplied 30 per cent less gas than usual.
He said E.on-Ruhrgas had obtained larger supplies of gas from other European sources on that day to replenish the shortfall.
At Wingas, based in the northern city of Kassel, a spokesman said, "After a temporary decline in pressure, our supplies via Ukraine into Germany are proceeding freely. The situation has normalized."
The E.on-Ruhrgas spokesman said of the missing gas, "It obviously must have been siphoned off in Ukraine."
Three pipelines dedicated solely to supplying western Europe passed through Ukraine, and his company estimated nearly 100 million cubic metres of gas that Gazprom had pumped Monday evening had gone missing.
Reichel said losses on Sunday had been less evident because there was less demand in Germany since factories had been closed for a public holiday and heating systems were at low burn because of mild weather that day.
Wingas, in which Gazprom holds 35 per cent of the shares, said its susceptibility was limited because it had the biggest underground gas storage facility in western Europe. "We are being kept constantly informed by the Russians," the spokesman said.
Germany uses 100 billion cubic metres of gas annually, with about one third of that amount imported from Russia.
Both Russia and the western European customers have repeatedly complained that Ukraine is tapping into the pipelines.
DPA
Care to buy your gas back from Ukraine, I'm sure they're resell it to you again. Love and kisses from your friends the Oranges.
Rule no 1: 'Do not cut off oil to country A, if you plan to sell oil to country B, but that oil destined for country B must first pass thru country A.
Hint: Because country A might take some on it's way thru.
Well this will have 2 effects, turn many in the EU against Yushchi and his rotten Oranges and 2. speed German investment into the Baltic pipeline (due to finish in 2 years) to bypass Ukraine and Poland.
Did they use a siphone tube?
Dream on dreamer. Especially now when EU can see how reliable, contract sticking partner Russia truly is. We'll also see in March what Ukrainians think about this effective policy.
F-ing hilarious. Post something by Putin's little bit## Schroeder, I'm sure he'll stand up for Russia as well.
This is "imaginative interpretation" of facts, which were- Russia CUT gas supplies on Jan.1-2, that's ifficial. On Jan.3 they increased it back to normal levels. What Germans are doing is ignoring that Russia cut the supplies and say that Ukraine stole it during those two days.
Jb6,
What if the gas dispute causes support for Yanukyvich to drop in the polls, or do you think that Ukrainians will blame Yushecnko for the gas war problem?
Also, This is sort of off topic but,
Do you believe if a referendum were to be held asking Ukrainians if they want reunification with Russia would that referendum pass? Have there ever been any polls asking Ukrainians if they would vote for reunification?
As for the referendum, that will be very geographically specific. Western Ukraine, no way. Crimea, absolutely. Donetsk, Lughansk, Kharkov, Dnepepitrovsk more then likely. Odessa, Kiev (out side the city in the oblast) maybe maybe not.
Don't bet on it. There are differences of opinion whether Russia violated the contract when they shut down gas supplies to the Ukraine, but in any case Russia will be chiefly blamed: 1) For playing hardball politics with natural gas; 2) For shutting down a source of heating fuel in the middle of a very cold winter; 3) because Putin is perceived to have imperial ambitions and apparently tried to poison the present leader of Ukraine.
It's doubtful that Europe will do anything much about it now, because they are a bunch of wimps, but they will all prudently start looking for alternative sources of supply.
Poland is already talking about developing their own natural gas, building docks to bring in gas by ship, and finding alternate supplies. Germany will feel pressure to follow France down the nuclear power route. Norway will push development of their recent northern oil discoveries. Europe in general will be a lot more cautious about buying Russian fuel, because the dangers of dependence on Russia are now a lot more obvious.
Nobody wants to risk getting cut off from their fuel supply in the middle of a cold winter.
Yep...the Ukraine is being set up by Russia as the BGs...
The Euroweenies will approve of any action the New Soviets take..
imo
E.ON AG owns Kentucky Utilities and Louisville Gas & Electric, in case anyone cares.
So what else is new. The Ukraine has been stealing gas from the Russians for years, and finally admitted they did from 1998 to 2000. However, the big thevery took part when Yulia Tymoshenko was energy czar, and increased her net worth $11.5 billion in 5 years. Yep, Putin is the problem.
This is "imaginative interpretation" of facts, which were- Russia CUT gas supplies on Jan.1-2, that's ifficial. On Jan.3 they increased it back to normal levels. What Germans are doing is ignoring that Russia cut the supplies and say that Ukraine stole it during those two days.
Yup. Most people don't have a clue as to how natural gas transmission pipelines work.
When supplies are cut, the huge compressor stations that compress the gas and give it a boost on down the line shut down. Once supply is resumed, the compressors have to be restarted. It's a complicated business.
The E.on-Ruhrgas spokesman said of the missing gas, "It obviously must have been siphoned off in Ukraine."
The E.on-Ruhrgas spokesman is counting on folks being ignorant about the pipeline business.
Last I read, Germany was headed the opposite direction on nuclear power, and moving as quickly as it could to shut down the facilities. Since the SPD is still part of the government, I can't see much change in direction.
I agree that the leftists are dead set against nuclear power, but freezing in the dark could change people's minds.
Ukraine probably needs to have its borders revised. Return the Western portion to Poland, and have Russia give it back the lands in the east. That would give the new Ukraine a clear pro-Russian majority, while protecting the bulk of the minority population. It would benefit Russia, Ukraine (in the long term) and Poland.
So all we need to do is cut off the natural gas supplies to New England and we can make the liberals up there see reason? Somehow, I don't think it will be that easy, but it might be worth a try.
Bush's fault.
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