Gazprom Confident in Future Export of 165 billion M3 Gas Abroad
Gazprom has announced it intends to export at least 165 billion cubic meters of gas abroad in 2016, according to deputy chairman of the company, Alexander Medvedev.
In 2015, Gazprom increased its gas exports to non-CIS countries to 159.4 billion cubic meters, which is 8% more than the previous year. Supply growth contributed to the reduction of its own production volumes in Europe, according to Chairman of the Board of Gazprom, Alexey Miller. “The increase of gas supply is a clear confirmation of the need to build gas pipeline ‘Nord Stream-2,’ through which Russian gas will pass via the Baltic Sea directly to Germany, the UK, Netherlands, France, Denmark and other countries, bypassing Ukraine.”
Nord Stream-2 will be an international collaboration between six major energy companies – PJSC Gazprom, the German companies Uniper and BASF SE/Wintershall Holding GmbH, the AngloDutch Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the Austrian OMV AG and the French Engie S.A.
“Europe’s gas production is declining and its import needs rising, so Nord Stream-2 is in its best interests,” Shell CEO, Ben van Beurden, said June 7. “We believe Nord Stream-2 is a good project, as it provides infrastructure for importing much-needed gas to the EU and Russia is a major gas supplier to the EU.”
Russian gas is currently supplied to Europe through the OPAL pipeline, which is the challenger of gas pipeline ‘Nord Stream-1.’ The OPAL natural gas pipeline, with a capacity is 36 bln cubic meters, is a land extension of the offshore Nord Stream pipeline.
However, the European Commission has put a limitation on Gazprom to use just 50% of its capacity: Gazprom (50%), Uniper (10%), Royal Dutch Shell (10%), OMV (10%), ENGIE (10%), Wintershall (10%).
"We are seeing the first successes of the long-suffering threads of the OPAL gas pipeline, the decision on which was taken four years ago. Now the German regulator has sent a corresponding request to the European Commission. We expect a positive decision in the very near future," said Gazprom’s Medvedev.
Dimitri Dolaberidze