Russian gas shipments to EU increasing
(MENAFN) In a notable rebound from previous declines, Russian natural gas exports to Western, Central, Southern, and Southeastern Europe increased by 23 percent year-on-year in June, as reported by Reuters citing estimates. Gazprom, the energy giant, significantly ramped up pipeline gas supplies, reaching 81.8 million cubic meters (mcm) per day last month compared to 66.8 mcm in June the previous year. These figures were sourced from data provided by the European gas transmission group Entsog and Gazprom’s reports on gas transit through Ukraine.
The surge in exports follows a period of reduced volumes due to planned maintenance affecting the TurkStream pipeline, with June figures slightly lower than those recorded in May but notably higher than June 2023.
Since the beginning of the year, Russian gas exports to the region have totaled approximately 15.5 billion cubic meters (bcm). Prior to geopolitical tensions, Russia traditionally supplied around 155 bcm of natural gas annually to the European Union via pipelines. However, exports were drastically curtailed in 2022 due to sanctions imposed by Western nations and incidents of pipeline sabotage affecting projects like Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2.
The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, a critical conduit under the Baltic Sea, and its newly constructed successor, Nord Stream 2, were rendered inoperable by underwater explosions in September 2022, disrupting Russian gas flows to the European Union. In response, Russia redirected gas deliveries eastward and notably increased exports to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline. Beijing’s imports of Russian pipeline gas surged to 22.7 bcm last year, marking a substantial increase from 15.4 bcm in 2022.
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