According to data from Gascade, the Yamal-Europe pipeline which normally sends Russian gas westward into Europe flowed east from Germany towards Poland on Saturday for the 26th consecutive day.
The link between Poland and Germany has been in reverse mode since Dec. 21. This is putting upward pressure upon European gas prices.
The pipeline accounts for approximately one-sixth to 6% of Russia’s annual gas exports from Russia to Europe and Turkey.
Friday’s renomination or preliminary bids to transport gas eastbound from Germany via the pipeline to Poland on Saturday morning fell sharply to 1.5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh/h)
However, Saturday’s reverse flows were close to the volume of 7 million kWh/h that was seen earlier in the week and are expected to remain in reverse through Sunday morning, according to data from the Mallnow metering station at the German-Polish border.
It is unclear when the pipeline will return to westbound flow into Germany. Gazprom sources say that the company will switch flows this month as Gazprom has already paid for westbound volumes.
Russia denied claims by a number of European policymakers that Russia was withholding gas supplies in order to press German and European authorities into approving the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Saturday’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak reiterated that Russia is ready to supply additional gas to Europe if new long-term agreements are in place – a position Moscow held since last year’s gas crisis.
