Page 6 - MEOG Week 40 2022

MEOG PIPELINES & TRANSPORT MEOG

Report says Russia’s TurkStream

supplies could be endangered

TURKEY RUSSIA is reportedly taking the position that activity. It said specialised ships frequently moni-
Western sanctions prevent it from maintaining tor the infrastructure for damage and make rapid
the crucial TurkStream natural gas pipeline that repairs. The required monitoring and repair
supplies Turkey, countries in the Balkans and equipment is mainly imported from the West.
Hungary. The contract revocation meant that “no one
If the pipeline were to be shut down, it would will be able to carry out repairs if a pipe is dam-
exacerbate Europe’s energy crisis, already this aged, gas leaks or if a part of the pipeline comes
week worsened by mysterious explosions that apart due to an earthquake.
have put three of the four strands of the Nord In fact, the company has lost operational
Stream Russia-Germany two-pipeline system control over the pipeline, the Russian branch
beyond repair. has lost contact with the corporate centre,” a Rus-
In a letter to managers of South Stream sian source at South Stream Transport informed
Transport BV on September 14 – obtained by RFE/RL.
media outlet RFE/RL – company director Oleg Western countries have accused Moscow of
Aksyutin ordered them to cease all work on using the Ukraine war sanctions imposed on
TurkStream, including cancelling contracts with Russia by the West as a pretext to cut gas exports
Western suppliers. Only emergency work might to Europe. Russia’s plan, they say, is to deal
be authorised. Europe severe economic blows and potentially
South Stream Transport BV, a Dutch unit of leave European households exposed to winter
Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom that is weather, thereby undermining support for the
responsible for operating the underwater Black EU’s backing of Ukraine.
Sea pipeline that provides a key route for Tur- The EU last year received 40% of its gas needs
key-bound and Balkans and Hungary-bound from Russia, but many member states now want
gas, was reported as saying that the Netherlands to wean themselves off Russian gas supplies
had revoked its licence as of September 17. entirely, seeing it as a now hugely unreliable
“Suspend the execution of all contracts supplier that has become a threat to their energy
related to the technical support of the gas pipe- security.
line,” Aksyutin was cited as writing in the letter, Hungary Today on September 29 reported
“including design, manufacture, assembly, test- Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto as
ing, repair, maintenance and training.” telling a meeting of energy ministers from the
TurkSteam has the capacity to deliver 33bn Organisation of Turkic States (OCT) in Almaty,
cubic metres of natural gas annually. Turkey con- Kazakhstan, that without an operational Turk-
sumes half of that provision, while the rest is sent Stream, Hungary would be in big trouble.
via a pipeline (sometimes referred to as Balkan Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Stream) dedicated to deliveries via Bulgaria to has this week briefed reporters that he foresees
the Balkans and Central Europe, especially to no problems affecting Russian gas supplies to
Serbia, North Macedonia and Hungary. Turkey this winter. Officials have informed local
RFE/RL pointed out that TurkStream lies 3 media that Turkey has filled its gas storage facil-
km below the sea in waters with high seismic ities ahead of winter.™

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 40 05•October•2022