Posted on 07/20/2022 11:33:13 PM PDT by dennisw
BERLIN — Natural gas started flowing through a major pipeline from Russia to Europe on Thursday after a 10-day shutdown for maintenance, the operator said. But the gas flow was expected to fall well short of full capacity.
The Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany had been closed since July 11 for annual maintenance work. Amid growing tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine, German officials had feared that the pipeline — the country’s main source of Russian gas, which has accounted for around a third of Germany’s gas supplies — might not reopen at all.
Operator Nord Stream AG said that gas started flowing again Thursday morning but the flow would take a while to ramp up, German news agency dpa reported.
Deliveries were expected to fall well below the pipeline's full capacity. Nord Stream said a similar amount of gas was expected to that seen before maintenance. The head of Germany's network regulator, Klaus Mueller, said on Twitter that Russia’s Gazprom had notified deliveries Thursday of only about 30% of the pipeline's capacity.
Europe is bracing for the possibility that the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline that brings natural gas from Russia to Germany won't reopen as scheduled after routine maintenance.
In mid-June, Russia’s state-owned Gazprom cut the flow to 40% of capacity. It cited alleged technical problems involving equipment that partner Siemens Energy sent to Canada for overhaul and couldn’t be returned because of sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Canadian government earlier this month gave permission for the turbine that powers a compressor station at the Russian end of the pipeline to be delivered to Germany.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
MORE>>>>>
The German government has rejected Gazprom’s technical explanation for the gas reduction, charging repeatedly that it was a pretext for a political decision to sow uncertainty and further push up energy prices. It has said that the turbine was a replacement that was only supposed to be installed in September, but that it’s doing everything to deprive Russia of the pretext to reduce supplies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Gazprom still hadn’t received the relevant documents for the turbine’s return — a claim repeated Wednesday by Gazprom. Putin said that Gazprom was to shut another turbine for repairs in late July, and if the one that was sent to Canada wasn’t returned by then the flow of gas would ebb even more.
The head of the European Union’s executive Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Wednesday that the turbine was “in transit” and there was “no pretext not to deliver” gas.
The Commission proposed that member countries cut their gas use by 15% over the coming months as the bloc braces for a possible full Russian cutoff of gas supplies.
China, India and South Africa are paying a small fraction of what they paid before for Russian oil (at 1:08:55 in the following). After the end of this year, they’ll probably pay far less than they are now.
https://youtu.be/qeF6uanPnTI?t=4135
That’s part of this video.
HOW LIFE CHANGED IN RUSSIA | In The Last 5 Months
INSIDE RUSSIA
Streamed live on Jul 18, 2022
https://youtu.be/qeF6uanPnTI
Saudi Arabia is laundering Russkie oil. They import it in at a large discount and sell their crude to Europe. This hurts Russia’s bottom line but Rus need to move their oil any which way they can.
Time for “things that to go boom in the night”!!
Thanks for the info that I hadn’t seen! What some of the Saudis have done in diplomacy in recent times is surprising and impressive to me. Was acquainted with one at a university (VIP type from a UAE country). Real cool, laid back character.
Next winter should be the last for Russia’s gas blackmail, – Ukraine’s Minister of Energy
Published: Today at 08:20
https://uatv.ua/en/next-winter-should-be-the-last-for-russia-s-gas-blackmail-ukraine-s-minister-of-energy/
Sorry if this is a little off-topic, but thought you might be interested. Ukraine continues to improve government against corruption. It’s been an ongoing effort for years.
Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine held a meeting on the state of implementation of the law on oligarchs
https://www.rnbo.gov.ua/en/Diialnist/5605.html
Blackmail? Really? Hmmm....
“Next winter Germany, and other European countries, will have an energy crisis. This crisis, we are told, is caused by the proxy war between the U.S. and Russia in Europe. They say that Russia has cut us off from its natural gas deliveries.
That is a lie.
The Ukraine and Poland have shut off some pipelines that bring in gas from Russia to western Europe. Germany has not delivered on the contracted maintenance that is required to keep the NordStream I pipeline at full capacity. The German government has blocked the certification of the NordStream II pipeline which is technically 100% ready to work at full capacity.
The energy crisis Europe will experience was created by the governments of those European countries who stop the pipeline flow of gas from Russia and who’s citizens will have to bear the consequences.
It is solely on them to stop that coming catastrophe.”
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/07/why-nord-stream-ii-must-be-opened-immediately.html#more
Q: Would a pipeline restarting after a scheduled 10 day to 2 week shutdown for preventive maintenance, come back online at full flow...? 🤔
I love how Canada would not allow the 1st Siemens turbine engine which was refurbished in Canada to be shipped back for the Russian pipeline. Now it has been released and six more will be sent for refurbishment.
I think the following is very appropriate….
“If you’ve got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
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