Page 13 - EurOil Week 31

EurOil PIPELINES & TRANSPORT EurOil

Gazprom Neft joins international

LNG bunkering group

RUSSIA GAZPROM Neft announced on July 30 it had emissions.
become the first Russian oil firm to join the Soci- Gazprom Neft intends to add other LNG
Gazprom Neft plans ety for Gas Marine Fuel (SGMF), a group that bunkering vessels to its fleet in the coming years.
to have its own LNG seeks to promote the fuelling of ships with LNG. Besides the environmental benefits, using LNG
bunkering vessel in The state company is mostly focused on oil as a marine fuel is also commercially lucrative,
2021. production, but it also wants to build up its gas the company said.
business to serve as a hedge against oil market “Working with the international commu-
volatility. It has added motive now that Russia nity will allow us to join forces in develop-
and its OPEC+ allies have agreed to restrict oil ing LNG project infrastructure in Russia and
supply, preventing Gazprom Neft from advanc- abroad, fine-tuning standards and regulations,
ing new oil projects. and developing industry best practices in LNG
Gazprom Neft uses fuel oil and other production, logistics and bunkering,” the direc-
crude-based fuels to bunker ships at 37 ports tor-general of Gazprom Neft’s marine bunkering
worldwide, but it plans to bring its own LNG division, Alexei Medvedev, said in a statement.
bunkering into service in the second quarter of Gazprom Neft’s parent Gazprom also wants
2021. to move into LNG bunkering. It had intended to
The vessel, with a storage capacity of 5,800 launch its 1.5mn tonne per year (tpy) Portovaya
cubic metres, will provide ship-to-ship refuel- liquefaction plant on the Baltic Sea this year,
ling in the Baltic Sea, where LNG bunkering is which would serve as a bunkering hub, but it is
becoming increasingly popular. LNG is seen as yet to provide a firm start date. It has also com-
an attractive solution for ship owners to meet pleted a feasibility study on a similar project in
IMO 2020 rules on fuel pollution, as it produces Vladivostok in the Russian Far East, and is draft-
virtually no sulphur and 90% less nitrogen ing plans for another one on the Black Sea. ™

Russia cleared to work on Nord Stream 2

RUSSIA RUSSIA'S natural gas pipeline to Germany, Nord event Russia wants to."
Stream 2, will be able to resume its construction While the addition to the CATSAA list opens
US has vowed to thwart on August 3, as the previous permission granted up any company participating in the construc-
the project. by Danish regulators to anchor pipelaying vessels tion of these two projects to potential sanctions,
will take effect, Vedomosti and Tass reported on Pompeo admitted that Germany is not in agree-
July 31 citing the Danish Energy Agency (DEA). ment with the US assessment of the dangers of
As reported by bne IntelliNews, DEA granted the pipelines and that “additional tools” would
Nord Stream AG the permit on July 6, which be needed to more effectively stop these projects.
would allow the construction of the 1,230-km "Given the advanced stage of construction
Nord Stream 2 to finish, with just a 120-km sec- on both projects, we agree that even CAATSA
tion in Danish waters left to complete. (Countering America's Adversaries Through
On August 3 the four-week appeal window Sanctions Act) could not stop Nord Stream 2 at
for the decision will expire, clearing the way to this point, although it might delay completion of
resuming the construction work. onshore connections for Line-2 of TurkStream
In the meantime, the US is maintaining pres- through Eastern Europe to the Baumgarten Hub
sure and tough rhetoric on Nord Steam 2 and the in Austria," BCS Global Markets commented on
pipeline to Turkey, TurkStream. July 31.
Tass reported on July 30 that US President Nord Stream 2 is now anticipated to come on
Donald Trump has added natural gas giant's stream in early 2021, Russian officials have said,
Gazprom two new European export pipelines to more than a year behind schedule. It will flow up
the CAATSA sanctions list. The announcement to 55bn cubic metres of gas to Germany, helping
was made by US Secretary of State Mike Pom- Gazprom reduce gas flows via Ukraine.
peo, speaking to the US Senate Foreign Relations As followed by bne IntelliNews, the physical
Committee. completion of the pipeline is only one challenge
"We will do everything we can to make sure that Gazprom is facing. The EU has legislated
that that pipeline doesn't threaten Europe," Pom- to apply its third energy package to the pipe-
peo told a senate hearing on July 30, adding: "We line, meaning Gazprom may have to divest the
want Europe to have real, secure, stable, safe pipeline and offered its flow capacity to third
energy resources that cannot be turned off in the parties.™

Week 31 06•August•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P13