Global Energy Briefs

Ukraine Accuses Gazprom Of Sharply Hiking Gas Pipeline Pressure

Ukraine has alleged Gazprom has sharply increased pressure along the pipeline that carries natural gas vial Ukraine to Europe.  Reuters said in a report that such sudden spikes in pressure could lead to pipeline ruptures, which is why companies involved in gas transportation need to inform each other ahead of time.

Gazprom, according to the Ukrainian gas operator, did not do so. Despite the war in Ukraine, Russian gas flows through the country have remained more or less steady, with the Monday rate at 41.7 million cubic meters. Flows via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, however, were just cut again earlier this week.

Gazprom said Monday that it would halt a turbine at the main Nord Stream 1 compressor station, which would result in lower gas flows beginning Wednesday. The drop would be some 50% from current rates, which in turn stand at about 40% the pipeline’s capacity.

Russia To Quit ISS After 2024 to Build Own Project in Outer Space
………As Space Shakeup Continues

Russia has said that it will quit the International Space Station (ISS) after 2024 to focus on building its own project in outer space. At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 26, Yuri Borisov, who Putin appointed earlier this month to head Roscosmos, said Moscow will fulfill all of its obligations at the ISS before leaving.

The announcement comes a week after the U.S. space agency NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos, agreed on exchange flights to the ISS on Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets for cosmonauts, while U.S. astronauts will be able to fly to Russia’s Soyuz.

“We will continue the piloted program in compliance with the plans already approved. The main focus going forward will be on creating a Russian orbital station,” Borisov stated.

Russia Cuts Gas Supply To German

Germany’s biggest importer of Russian gas, energy giant Uniper, says gas supply from Russia has been cut to just a third of nominated and contractually agreed volumes.

A spokesperson for the German firm said Russia is further reducing flows via Nord Stream this week, to just 20% of the pipeline’s capacity, days after restarting the link at 40% capacity after regular maintenance.

The Russian explanation for the lower gas flows to Europe is that another turbine at a compressor station is up for maintenance and repairs, while the one that Canada returned from repairs has yet to be installed.

While promising install the repaired turbine, Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, on Monday noted that, “We know that we have issues with other turbines, too, and Siemens is well aware of this.” German companies are also feeling the pinch from low gas supply from Russia and sky-high energy prices this year.

Libya Raises Oil Production To 1.1mbpd

Libya has now managed to raise its oil production to 1.1mbpd, the oil minister of the Tripoli-based government has confirmed. The country’s oil production has recovered in recent days after it resumed oil exports last week.

The force majeure severely crippled Libya’s oil exports in recent months, following weeks of protests and closures amid the new political rift in Libya. The most recent rivalry is between Fathi Bashaga, the Prime Minister appointed by Parliament earlier this year, and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who is backed by the UN.

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) has said it plans to see oil output rates recover to 1.2 million bpd in less than a month. The announced last week that production had jumped to 860,000bpd after the force majeure. 

Reuters said in report that violence is still rife, and may interfere with these plans.