Gazprom increases gas supplies to Europe

Gazprom, which 7 months ago sharply reduced the supply of gas to Europe, has suddenly returned them to their previous level. Sources of the Kommersant explain this with depletion of stocks in underground storage facilities of the EU. Thus, an attempt of Gazprom to stop reverse supplies to the Ukraine, hit primarily close allies of the Russian company in Europe. Russia can get additional dividends due to the situation: the Ukraine will now have to buy additional gas from Gazprom to maintain the grown transit.

On March 6, Gazprom sharply increased its gas supplies to Europe. According to the European gas transmission operators, the transit through the Ukraine increased by almost 40%, mainly at the point Veľke-Kapušany at the Ukrainian-Slovak border, where the pumping grew 2.2 times to 107.7 million cubic meters. About 70% of the additional gas were supplied to Italy, and the rest - in southern Germany. And Gazprom almost doubled the flow of gas through Nord Stream, to about 95 million cubic meters per day. Loading of the Yamal – Europe gas pipeline rose by 19% to 82 million cubic meters per day. Additional gas was about equally divided between Germany and the countries of North-Western Europe. Gazprom declined to comment on the reasons for the sharp increase in the deliveries.