Moscow is prepared to restart gas shipments to Europe via the Yamal-Europe Pipeline, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told state TASS news agency, Reuters added.
“The European market remains relevant, as the gas shortage persists, and we have every opportunity to resume supplies,” TASS cited Novak as saying in remarks published by the agency on Sunday.
“For example, the Yamal-Europe Pipeline, which was stopped for political reasons, remains unused.”
Although the Yamal-Europe Pipeline typically travels west, it has been largely travelling east since December 2021 as Poland chose to use Germany’s gas reserves rather than purchasing from Russia.
Warsaw ended its arrangement with Russia in May after initially refusing Moscow’s demand that it make its payments in roubles.
As a response to Moscow’s sanctions on the company that owns the Polish portion of the Yamal-Europe pipeline, Russian supplier Gazprom (GAZP.MM) shut off supply and announced it would no longer be allowed to export gas via Poland.
Novak also reiterated that Moscow is discussing additional gas supplies through Turkey after a creation of a hub there.
He also said that Moscow expects it will have shipped 21 billion cubic metres (bcm) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe in 2022.
“This year we were able to significantly increase LNG supplies to Europe,” Novak said. “In the 11 months of 2022 they increased to 19.4 bcm, by the end of the year 21 bcm are expected.”
In the long run, according to Novak, Russia may transmit its natural gas to the markets of Afghanistan and Pakistan by either using the Central Asian infrastructure or by exchanging gas with Iran.
“In the future, when they increase gas production, we will be able to discuss swaps,” he said.
Moscow is also discussing higher supplies of its gas to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, he said.
In the long run, according to Novak, Russia may transmit its natural gas to the markets of Afghanistan and Pakistan by either using the Central Asian infrastructure or by exchanging gas with Iran.
