A “perfect storm” is brewing in the European gas market

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The so-called perfect storm is brewing in the energy market of the Old World. Against the background of the escalation of the armed conflict between Russia and the collective West on the territory of Ukraine, European countries are trying to hastily fill their underground gas storage facilities to capacity. Prudent Germany is ahead of everyone, however, it also has a good chance to freeze in the winter of 2022-2023 and ruin its industry.

The European Union is supplied with Russian gas so far through a whole network of main pipelines. This is, for example, the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline connecting the fields of Western Siberia with German consumers in transit through Belarus and Poland. This is the Nord Stream underwater main gas pipeline running along the bottom of the Baltic Sea directly from Russia to Germany. This is the Ukrainian GTS, which since Soviet times served for the supply of Russian gas to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. These are Turkish Stream and Nord Stream 2, the construction of which began in 2014 after the coup in Kyiv, bypassing Ukraine. So, for purely political reasons, valves are sequentially turned on all these pipelines.



On May 11, Kyiv announced the suspension of gas transit to Europe through the Sokhranivka station in the Luhansk region due to force majeure. After Warsaw froze Gazprom's assets in Europe, Moscow imposed counter-sanctions, and now Russia can no longer use the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline. The Turkish Stream transit line has not yet been fully completed. Nord Stream 2 lies dead weight at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. And now the long "bony hand" of the collective West has reached the first Nord Stream.

It became known that official Ottawa banned the return to Russia of gas turbines manufactured by Siemens Energy AG, which Gazprom uses at its compressor stations to pump gas through the Nord Stream. Since our country does not have its own powerful power plants of this class, they had to be purchased abroad and serviced there. The repair base is just located in frankly unfriendly Canada, which refused to return the German turbine that had been serviced. Siemens Energy commented on the situation as follows:

For technical reasons, these aircraft gas turbines can only be repaired in Montreal… We have informed the Canadian and German governments and are working to resolve the situation.

Another Gazprom turbine, fortunately, was not sent to Canada, stuck in a Russian port. In response, the domestic monopolist announced a significant reduction in the volume of gas supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline:

In connection with the untimely return of gas compressor units from repair by Siemens, the exhaustion of the GCU overhaul life and the identified technical due to engine malfunctions (an order from Rostekhnadzor on a temporary ban on activities was received), only three gas compressor units can currently be used at the Portovaya CS. Gas supplies to the Nord Stream gas pipeline can currently be provided in the amount of up to 100 million cubic meters. m per day (with a planned volume of 167 million cubic meters per day).

It's kind of a shame, if you call a spade a spade, when the Canadian authorities determine whether Russian pipelines work or not. Why our country still does not have its own powerful power turbines is a question for responsible persons.

European sites reacted to the decrease in the supply of Russian blue fuel by 67 million cubic meters at once by increasing gas prices over $1300 per 1 cubic meters. But, apparently, this seemed not enough at Gazprom, and from July 11, 2022, the work of the Nord Stream will be suspended for two weeks under the pretext of an inspection:

During the inspection, the pipeline will not be able to supply gas for up to two weeks. This may result in less gas being injected during a given period.

But this is only one of the components of the coming "perfect storm" in the European energy sector. To policy technogenic disasters have also been added.

On the one hand, on the night of June 16, a fire broke out at the largest Russian gas field in Urengoy (YaNAO). There was a break in the pipeline in the area of ​​the 8th gas field. During the liquidation of the accident, the supply of blue fuel to Europe may be suspended indefinitely. On the other hand, in the United States, after an accident and a fire, the largest liquefied natural gas plant, Freeport LNG, was closed for lengthy repairs. The plant's capacity is 15 million tons per year, which is about 20% of US LNG exports. The initial period of 3 weeks, which is necessary to eliminate the consequences of the accident, has already increased to 3 months.

As you can see, the "gas stranglehold" on the neck of the Old World is tightening more and more tightly. It is not at all clear what will happen to the economy EU, if during the hostilities in Nezalezhnaya the Ukrainian GTS will also suffer. How the Europeans are going to then compete on the price of LNG with Asian consumers is not clear. The coming winter of 2022-2023 will be “fun” for everyone.
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  1. +3
    16 June 2022 15: 28
    It's kind of a shame, if you call a spade a spade, when Canadian authorities determine whether Russian pipelines work or not.

    But the Germans must answer for this shame. It's their problem, not Russia's
  2. -8
    16 June 2022 15: 39
    And this country wants to survive after all the sanctions, when some snuffy Canada on another continent dictates the terms? Well, this is how it was necessary to steal and eat in three gulps to the new owners in order to let the once great country around the world? After all, if you do not build illusions, then all that is still in Russia is the remnants (more precisely, probably, the remains) of the USSR.
    1. +1
      16 June 2022 18: 39
      Break not build. And why reinvent the wheel when you can buy from those who invented and manufactured. Who knew that this would happen. In ten years they stole what twenty it took to restore.
    2. +1
      16 June 2022 19: 07
      Quote: EVYN WIXH
      some snuffy Canada on another continent dictates the terms?

      If you are for autocracy, then why did you crawl out to this site, and not sit quietly in your hole, cutting off the Internet, water, sewer, and .....
      You yourself must grow food and produce everything that you wear and use.
  3. +1
    16 June 2022 16: 16
    It is not at all clear what will happen to the EU economy if the Ukrainian GTS is also affected during the hostilities in Nezalezhnaya.

    It is quite clear what will happen to the EU economy if the Ukrainian GTS is also affected during the hostilities in Nezalezhnaya - Kirdyk will be the EU economy! Here the lads will put a charge under the gas pipeline and drain the water.
    And by the way, how is it that Zelensky has not yet cut off gas revenues to the aggressor by blocking the Ukrainian GTS? He requires others to give up Russian gas, while he profits from it? And what will panders patriots say to this? To whom is war, and to whom ...
  4. -9
    16 June 2022 18: 30
    This is very bad news. The EU can say that their security is under threat because of Russia. All this can become a reason for NATO intervention in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict in order to help the European Union.
  5. -2
    16 June 2022 19: 04
    Why do they need turbines? It is better to build the Lakhta Center - the highest in Europe, and indeed the very best! And of course, a new formulaic track near St. Petersburg, otherwise Sochi is already tired! ... Do not forget about yachts, palaces, planes and voracious mistresses.
    1. 0
      17 June 2022 10: 56
      Quote: Ivanushka-555
      Do not forget about yachts, palaces, planes and voracious mistresses

      Well, everyone knows that in the "bright city on the hill this is not." Neither Clinton (God bless him with good male health) hired a blowjob, nor Macaron went out with a passion, being officially married to another woman, nor Bidon did not attach his son to a fishing place, taking advantage of his official position.
  6. +1
    16 June 2022 19: 30
    How unexpected, right? laughing laughing
  7. -2
    16 June 2022 20: 22
    In my opinion, the Germans also announced sanctions on Siemens turbines, punished the inhabitants of Crimea for their unwillingness to live with Bandera. Is it really such a complex unit that for a part of the 300 yards of profaned yards during this time they themselves could not organize their production? So, excuse me, we and the rest of the gas pipelines will stop.
    1. 0
      21 June 2022 21: 53
      Gas turbine engines are technologically the most complex units and their production has been mastered only in four countries (including Russia), however, there is also international specialization in the types of such units due to the complexity of the technology.
      1. 0
        22 June 2022 09: 56
        Are you talking to me? About GTD? Thousands of aircraft with gas turbine engines were produced in the Soviet Union. Yes, they have different resources, but the thrust is different.
  8. 0
    16 June 2022 23: 32
    Oh, and they wrote a year ago, and 2 years ago, that Europe would freeze and go bankrupt, and now they write ...
    In the end, there was a puff.
    In fact, it's just that someone is getting on a panic...
  9. +1
    17 June 2022 08: 07
    Quote: Sergey Latyshev
    In fact, it's just that someone is getting on a panic...

    I do know exactly who it is. These are just those who are eager to start negotiations with dill, and what do the Chechen brothers and Ramzan Akhmatovich himself think about all this? How long will this "rig" continue?
  10. +1
    17 June 2022 10: 15
    The price of gas in Geyrop is already $ 1600 per 1000 cubic meters - excellent))) we go further))))
    1. 0
      17 June 2022 10: 58
      Unfortunately, the record has not yet been broken. Last year, the price stepped over two kilodollars. Well, nothing, the seeds in the store, despite the sanctions, are not translated laughing
  11. +3
    17 June 2022 16: 35
    I don't understand the comments.
    Why should Russia itself produce the turbines that Germany needs? This is the problem of Europe, that gas pumping has decreased. It's up to them to decide.
    By the way, the remaining three turbines will run out of service just by the end of December. They seem to have 200 days of work left. Then SP-1 will stop working.
  12. 0
    17 June 2022 20: 21
    The Germans are stupid. They need time to understand that the "golden days" are gone. Then the breaking of their own consciousness from the thought that the source of their well-being was in cooperation with Russia, and not with UkroIgilovtsy. Was. That is why the "anaconda loop" strangles the German "exclusivity" slowly. Moreover, Russia simply has nowhere to put their "Eurika"... And why do we need paper, for which nothing can be bought?

    And it will take a very long time to unravel the "Gordian knot" brewed by the ambitions of obviously no longer world leaders from the West. Easier to break. Maybe we will still see the Germans, divided into a dozen German Khaganates.
  13. 0
    18 June 2022 03: 50
    It's okay, let Europe freeze, maybe after that they will think.
  14. +1
    18 June 2022 15: 17
    Everything is shaping up great. Russia is a reliable supplier, but cannot fulfill its obligations due to force majeure circumstances on the part of consumers. Russia's currency is almost not needed. Its abundance in the country. Therefore, there is no need to strain and sell your gas by force. Russia should relax and further minimize gas supplies to the EU using sanctions against itself. Let the price of gas in Europe keep rising. Maybe some other LNG plant will stop in the USA, or something will happen in Norway with gas supplies. Let the enemies dance.