While Russia is stopping gas supplies through Nord Stream 1 the United States of America that is President Biden had said earlier this February that “natural gas will not flow through Russia’s Nord Stream 2pipeline to Germany if Moscow orders an invasion of Ukraine”[1]. In a nutshell they declared the suspension of this pipeline too. And who agreed and was ready to join forces with the United States? German Chancellor Olaf Scholz:
“”If Russia invades … there will no longer [be] a Nord Stream 2 ” Biden said during a joint press conferencewith Scholz. “We will bring an end to it ” added the American president.””
““Scholz said Germany was ready to act together with the United States. Asked specifically whether Germany was prepared to pull the plug on the pipeline the chancellor said “we are absolutely united.”” Since the last reportage we have of this is dated back in February of this year what happened to this declaration? Is there any follow up?
What is Nord Stream 2? It is a 750-mile pipeline which was completed in September but up till February of this year it is reported that it has not yet received final certification from German regulators. “When up and running it would boost deliveries of gas directly from Russia to Germany.”
“The United States the United Kingdom Ukraine and several EU countries have opposed the pipeline since it was announced in 2015 warning the project would increase Moscow’s influence in Europe.”
“Nord Stream 2 could deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. That’s more than 50% of Germany’s annual consumption and could be worth as much as $15 billion to Gazprom the Russian state owned company that controls the pipeline based on its average export price in 2021.”
So we have Russia cutting supply to Germany via Nord Stream 1 with the US reaching a deal with the same Germany back in mid-2021 to prevent Russia from using its Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as political leverage over Europe.[2]Fast forward to 2022 and both the US and Germany agree on pulling the plug on the pipeline.
What is happening here?
And while Europe is being put on its knees it is not the same for communist China. Between January and August 2022 Gazprom had managed “to increase gas deliveries via the Power of Siberia to China by 60%.”[3]
The company’s CEO Alexey Miller said:
“”We are consistently increasing supplies via the Power of Siberia gas pipeline to China. And this year we have several times updated the record for daily gas supplies in excess of contractual obligations in terms of daily contractual quantities. Our gas supplies to the Chinese market in eight months of 2022 compared to 2021 grew by 60%.””
How ironic that the same statement cannot be announced for Europe!
He also stated that Gazprom will undoubtedly fulfill its obligations to supply gas to China in 2023 which is in desperate need of gas. To increase supplies a new resource base has been prepared: gas from the Kovykta field will begin to flow in the Power of Siberia gas pipeline before the end of the year. The holding company has also started working on the design and estimate documentation for the Far East gas supply route to China.
He added:
“Until the end of the year we will be celebrating a very important significant event. This is the beginning of the flow of gas from the Kovykta field to the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. We are already completing the linear part of the Kovykta-Chayanda. And without a doubt all contractual obligations for 2023 which we have to our Russian consumers and to our Chinese partners to increase the volume of gas supplies to China we will fully fulfill it.”
Miller recalled that the eastern program is primarily intended to increase export opportunities and gas supplies to the Chinese market. According to him the Chinese market is the most dynamic in the world and the increase in gas consumption in China will account for 40% of the increase in global gas consumption over the next 20 years.
I guess that rewards come in various forms for a country which accepted to be the culprit of Covid-19.
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[1]https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/08/business/nord-stream-2-germany-biden/index.html
[2]https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57923655
[3]https://tass.com/economy/1500539