Situation around the Ukraine slows decision on OPAL gas pipeline

The situation around the Ukraine slows decision on the German pipeline OPAL - land continuation of the offshore gas pipeline Nord Stream, the head of German Wintershall, Mario Meren told reporters.

'We would like to bring the movement to the process and discuss the issue with all stakeholders, including Gazprom and the German Federal Network Agency. But the situation with the Ukraine slows the resolution of this issue,' - he said.

In April 2015, the Russian Energy Minister, Alexander Novak said that Russia again began negotiations on the status of the OPAL pipeline. 'We, in fact, re-negotiate on the basis of the position, which was formed in October 2013. In March, Gazprom sent a request to the German regulator for provision of absolute capacity of OPAL,' - the Minister said then.

In December 2014, Gazprom stated that the company would pretend for 100% of the OPAL’s capacity. 'We refused to continue waiting for the approval of our agreement with the Federal Agency of Germany by the European Commission. We will claim for 100%, and the previously signed agreement with the Germans, which haven’t been approved by the European Commission, contained 'a compromise' scheme,' - said the spokesman of Gazprom Sergei Kupriyanov.

'The compromise scheme' was proposed by the German regulator and allowed Gazprom to reserve more than 50% of the OPAL’s capacity. The decision on the access to the OPAL capacity was waited from the European Commission by Gazprom during 2014. At the end of 2013, Gazprom asked the EC to release OPAL from the Third Energy Package. In accordance with the requirements of the Third Energy Package, Gazprom has to reserve up to half of the OPAL’s capacity to transport gas of independent suppliers, despite the fact that the only filler of the pipeline system with capacity of 36 billion cubic meters per year is the Nord Stream pipeline.

Source: Rusmininfo Limited