Posted on 07/21/2022 5:00:45 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com
Russia on Thursday restored critical gas supplies to Europe through Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline after 10 days of maintenance, but uncertainty lingered over whether the Kremlin would still trigger an energy crisis on the continent this winter.
Germany, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas, had feared that Moscow would not reopen the pipeline after the scheduled work and accused Moscow of using energy as a "weapon".
The showdown came amid the worst tensions in several years over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Germany believes Russia is squeezing supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions over the war.
Klaus Mueller, head of Germany's energy regulator, the Federal Network Agency, said that by late morning gas flows were on track to return to 40 percent of the pipeline's capacity -- the same reduced level as before the maintenance work.
"But given the missing 60 percent (of supply) and political instability, there is no reason to sound the all-clear," he tweeted.
Enduring German reliance on Russian gas coupled with alarming signals from Moscow have turned up the pressure on Europe's top economy.
A total shutdown of imports or a sharp reduction in the flow from east to west could have a catastrophic effect, shutting factories and forcing households to turn down the heat.
Even the resumption of 40 percent of supplies would be insufficient to ward off energy shortages in Europe this winter, experts warned.
The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday that a halt in supplies could slash Germany's gross domestic product this year by 1.5 percent.
Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom cut flows to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline under the Baltic Sea to some 40 percent of capacity in recent weeks, blaming the absence of a Siemens gas turbine that was undergoing repairs in Canada.
The turbine is reportedly en route to Russia and expected to arrive on Sunday at the earliest. The German government has rejected Gazprom's explanation as an "excuse", noting that the turbine was one of several available.
Moscow's explanation for the supply shortfall shifted again on Thursday, as it said that gas delivery problems to Europe were caused by Western sanctions.
"Any technical difficulties linked to this are caused by those restrictions that European countries introduced themselves," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted this week that Gazprom would meet all its delivery obligations.
"Gazprom has fulfilled, is fulfilling and will fulfil its obligations in full," Putin told reporters in Tehran after holding talks with the leaders of Iran and Turkey.
He warned, however, that as another gas turbine was due to be sent for maintenance at the end of this month, energy flows could fall to 20 percent of capacity from next week.
As of Wednesday, German gas reserves were about 65 percent according to official estimates. The reduced supply has prevented EU countries from replenishing holdings before winter.
The European Commission on Wednesday urged EU countries to reduce their demand for natural gas by 15 percent over the coming winter months, and to give it special powers to force through needed demand cuts if Russia severs the gas lifeline.
"Russia is blackmailing us," Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, told reporters.
"Russia is using energy as a weapon and therefore, in any event, whether it's a partial major cut-off of Russian gas or total cut-off... Europe needs to be ready."
Peskov at the Kremlin said on Thursday that the blackmail accusations were "completely" unfounded.
"A decisive bit of leverage is reducing gas use," he said. "We have to do everything in our power to work on that."
Russia is selling 3.5% more oil, post NATO provocation. I thought Russian oil was being sanctioned?
There’s alway’s Nord Stream 2 completed, tested, primed and ready to convey natural gas on short notice. Just sayin’.
Ursula von der Leyen is a bonifide nutcase. If you need something from someone you don’t whine and fling poo at them.
It is you that needs what they have.
I think the following is very appropriate….
“If you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
Germany…accused Moscow of using energy as a “weapon.”
————
Meanwhile, Germany (like the rest of NATO, including us) sends actual weapons to Ukraine, which Ukraine uses to kill Russian soldiers. I have to hand it to the Germans, their arrogance hasn’t waned one bit over the last century.
Why Nord Stream II Must Be Opened Immediately
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/07/why-nord-stream-ii-must-be-opened-immediately.html
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 Nord Stream I pipeline at full capacity. The German government has blocked the certification of the Nord Stream 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.
[rest at link]
I think we had a president who warned Germany about this and was laughed at.
Back to the future Nazis.
Well, duh. Should've listened when Trump warned you.
The past must be remembered. Europe covets Russian oil
Russia has a choice. Provide Europe with gas of invite an invasion that sends Mother Russia to her grave.
Thanks for this from Moon of Alabama. It was mentioned yesterday by a guest on Judge Nap’s show.
You're always good for a laugh bert.
“Ursula von der Leyen is a bonifide nutcase. “
And Grandpa was a nazi officer.
The west is getting destroyed in the sanction war with Russia. Anyone that supports it is supporting more inflation for citizens of this country.
“So, you’d rather see Russia cut off the gas altogether”
Well, what I would like but probably not doable: U.S. export oil/gas &/or let Europe burn coal. NOT fuel Putin invasion.
Also, I would like to see is the oil drilling leases President Trump signed be allowed
1. Under Trump, U.S. drilling permits on federal lands soar
By Nichola Groom https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-drilling-permits-idUSKCN1RO18A
(Reuters) - The United States approved nearly 40 percent more oil and gas drilling permits on public lands in 2018 than it did the previous year thanks to an automated online system
“President Donald Trump has made it a priority to speed permitting and reduce regulation as a way to boost production of oil, gas and coal from public lands - an agenda that has pleased the energy and mining industries but outraged environmentalists concerned about pollution and climate change.
The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management approved 3,991 drilling permits in fiscal 2018, up from 2,887 in 2017, the agency said, an increase of 38 percent. The average time to process an application to drill with BLM was cut nearly in half to 63 days from 120 days in 2017.
A BLM spokesman, Derrick Henry, attributed the permit approval increase in 2018 to “using increased automation and flexible staffing to make decisions more quickly.”
THEN,
2. Biden outpaces Trump in issuing drilling permits on public lands https://news.yahoo.com/biden-outpaces-trump-issuing-drilling-030433163.html
“As [BIDEN ADMINISTRATION] prepares to auction off oil and gas leases in Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and several other Western states by the end of March, the administration has reduced the size of these sales by thousands of acres to protect animal habitat and due to low industry demand in some places.”
MOST IMPORTANTLY WE NEED NEW REFINERIES!!!
Incidentally, I’m sure you saw:
“Nanotechnology researchers claim to have found a super-efficient way to mechanochemically trap and hold gases in powders, with potentially enormous and wide-ranging industrial implications... A revolutionary overhaul of the massive gas separation industry
The results are absolutely remarkable from a numbers standpoint. This process, for example, could separate hydrocarbon gases out from crude oil using less than 10% of the energy that’s needed today. “Currently, the petrol industry uses a cryogenic process,” says Chen. “Several gases come up together, so to purify and separate them, they cool everything down to a liquid state at very low temperature, and then heat it all together. Different gases evaporate at different temperatures, and that’s how they separate them out.”
Cryogenics, of course, is a highly energy-intensive process, and the Deakin team found that its ball milling process could be tuned to separate out gases just as effectively using far less energy.” https://newatlas.com/energy/mechanochemical-breakthrough-unlocks-cheap-safe-powdered-hydrogen/?fbclid=IwAR1Zh3gRerv0K14wAkIEdhnLNqcySLRPUnbVUDONIk__LcCCaGmMeOpA400
“If you’ve got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.”
Whose scrotum are you refereeing to: Canadian or Russian?
The Russians have the Germans by the lower anatomy. The Canadians don’t have balls 🤣
The former isn't going to happen for at least two and half years.
What you're not getting is that the same people running "liberal world order" that did everything it could to make the war in Ukraine happen are also ones pushing the climate change nonsense and green energy. The sanctions fit perfectly into their agenda.
You're essentially supporting the green agenda by siding with Ukraine.
The "liberal world order" must DIE if an American First agenda is takeover.
Yes, but who were those who dared to laughed at him?
Political imbeciles. Unfortunately, the joke is not on them, now, but on everybody else - including those Germans who would gladly have told them to pipe down.
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