Page 10 - FSUOGM Week 10 2023

FSUOGM PIPELINES & TRANSPORT FSUOGM

Russia reportedly intends to mothball

damaged Nord Stream pipelines

EUROPE RUSSIA plans to seal up and mothball the Dea – partners in the Nord Stream 1 operating
damaged Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, with consortium – declined to comment. Germany’s
Moscow sees no no immediate plan to repair them, sources told E.ON, another partner, said “to our knowledge
prospect for the Reuters on March 3. as a minority shareholder, no decision has been
pipelines returning to Gazprom has previously said it would be made, either for or against restoring the line.”
service anytime soon. possible to repair the ruptured lines, but the Three of the four Nord Stream 1 and 2 strings
pipelines are unlikely to be needed, as the Rus- burst in late September, and Moscow has accused
sian government sees little prospect of ties with Washington of sabotaging the lines – a claim that
the West improving in the foreseeable future, the White House has vehemently denied.
according to Reuters. Germany used to rely on Russian President Vladimir Putin has said
the pipelines for the majority of its gas, but it no that the remaining undamaged Nord Stream
longer imports any gas directly from Russia, as a 2 pipeline could be used to supply gas, but the
result of their destruction and a halt in flow via idea was rejected by Germany, which is pushing
the Yamal-Europe pipeline that runs through to end its reliance on Russian gas by importing
Poland. LNG. The pipeline would also require certifica-
The conservation plan would involve sealing tion – a lengthy process that Berlin put on hold
the ruptured ends and coating the pipes to avoid in late February in response to Russian actions
further corrosion from seawater, according to in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Reuters. The Russian government and Gaz- Lavrov said on March 3 that Moscow would no
prom did not respond to requests for comment longer depend on the West as an energy part-
on the plans, while France’s Engie, The Neth- ner, as it pushes to forge stronger ties with Asian
erlands' Gasunie and Germany’s Wintershall markets.™

Trump accuses Biden administration

of blowing up Nord Stream pipes

US FORMER US President Donald Trump has interest to destroy the pipelines.
said the Biden administration or Ukraine could “This is a main source of massive income for
Trump is the frontrunner have been responsible for blowing up the Nord them. They didn’t blow it up to make a point.
for the Republican Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in late September, while That’s the one thing I can tell you for sure,” he
nomination for the US dismissing that Russia could be to blame. said, adding that it could have been a joint
2024 presidential race. The comments come after the release of a US-Ukraine act of sabotage.
controversial investigation by veteran US jour- Russia has repeatedly accused the US of
nalist Seymour Hersh last month that the US blowing up the pipelines, and has demanded a
Navy had placed explosives on the pipelines last UN inquiry into the matter. While Washington
summer. Washington has dismissed the charge denies this, there is also no conclusive evidence
as “false and complete fiction.” The Hersh report that Russia was behind the attacks.
draws from an anonymous source with knowl- Whoever was responsible could be key to
edge of the matter. deciding on multi-billion dollar arbitration
“Well, it could have been us, and it could claims logged by European gas buyers against
have been Ukraine, and it could have been some Russia’s Gazprom for losing their gas supply last
third-party country that wants to see trouble,” year, according to Wood Mackenzie.
Trump told right-wing political commentator Investigations underway in Denmark, Ger-
Glenn Beck in a talk show on February 27. many and Sweden have not yet concluded,
Trump, who is currently polling in the lead although they have so far established that the
for the Republican nomination for the 2024 US damage to the pipelines was indeed caused by
presidency, said it was not in Russia’s strategic sabotage. ™

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 10 07•March•2023