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parliament’s energy committee, went further,
saying that Berlin might respond to the sanctions
with punitive measures of its own.
“If this doesn’t finally stop, then we would
have to think about serious measures to protect
ourselves. For instance, punitive duties on natu-
ral gas from the US are possible,” he told Russian
press on June 5. “The behaviour of the US in this
issue should no longer be seen as a friendly act; it
is an offence against the sovereignty of Germany
and the EU.”
Relations between Germany and the US
have often been strained during Trump’s presi-
dency. The pair have clashed not only over Nord
Stream 2 but also US calls for Germany to raise
its defence spending, among other issues.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel thwarted rather than because of tensions between the two
Trump’s plan to host a G7 meeting at the White allies.
House this month. And on June 5, Trump ordered Germany’s relationship with the US is “com-
the US military to remove 9,500 troops from plicated,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas
Germany, although Washington insisted that the said on June 7, saying that the withdrawal of US
move was the result of months of preparations, troops was regrettable.
Gazprom signs key deals
for $13bn Baltic gas hub
PROJECTS & RUSSIA’S national gas supplier Gazprom has
COMPANIES announced signing key deals to underpin the
construction of a gas processing and LNG pro-
duction complex on the Baltic Sea.
The $13bn project, unveiled last year, is
among a number of major investments Gazprom
is advancing, despite promises of leaner spend-
ing and a sharp drop in European gas revenues
triggered by the coronavirus (COVID-19) cri-
sis. Gazprom has formed a 50:50 joint venture
called RusKhimAlyans with RusGazDobycha,
a company affiliated with Kremlin ally Arkady
Rotenburg, to implement the plan. subsidiary of Russia’s Sibur group, for processing
In a statement on June 8, Gazprom said it had facilities. But EPC contractors are yet to be cho-
entered into 20-year commercial contracts with sen for the liquefaction facilities.
RusKhimAlyans for the supply of 45bn cubic Gazprom aims to start up the complex in
metres per year to the complex. This gas will either 2023 or 2024.
come from Gazprom fields, it said. Despite poor market conditions, Gazprom
From these supplies, the complex will pro- has expressed interest in advancing a raft of
duce 18 bcm per year of treated gas, which will costly new projects. It recently launched feasi-
be exported through the Nord Stream pipelines, bility studies for building a second $20bn gas
along with 13mn tonnes per year of LNG for pipeline to China, and has also looked again at
export via tanker. It will also turn out 3.6mn tpy the long-delayed development of the offshore
of ethane and 2.2mn tpy of liquefied petroleum Shtokman field in the Arctic. Such schemes are
gas (LPG). unfeasible at current prices and could take more
Gazprom also said it had struck a 20-year than a decade to realise.
deal to supply the ethane to a separate petro- Announcements about these projects come
chemical plant RusGazDobycha is developing at after recent release of an investigation by Russian
the same Baltic port of Ust-Luga. It added that news agency Lenta.ru that frames Gazprom’s
an engineering, procurement and construction landmark $55bn Power of Siberia pipeline pro-
(EPC) contract had been awarded to Nipigaz, a ject as a costly misadventure.
P18 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 23 12•June•2020
