Russia & CIS

German Court Rejects Last Obstacle to Nord Stream 2 Construction

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline project cleared another legal hurdle in Germany last week.

CPC Pipeline Expansion in Doubt After Leadership Shakeup

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium expansion project is in question after its entire board was dissolved.

Kazakhstan Decreases Gas Supplies to China

Kazakhstan has reduced natural gas supplies to China by 20-25%, Energy Minister Nurlan Nogayev said on Wednesday, after importer PetroChina issued a force majeure notice to suppliers this month.

Russian Production Increase Limited by Export Constraints: Traders

Russia’s ability to quickly lift oil production following the collapse of a global agreement to cut is restrained by bottlenecks in exporting capacity, market sources said and Reuters calculations showed on Tuesday.

Poland Ready to Supply Belarus with Oil if Pipeline Upgraded

Poland is ready to supply Belarus with oil, but first needs to invest in its pipelines to enable reverse flows, Poland's minister responsible for energy infrastructure said on Wednesday.

China Imports 840 Million Cubic Meters of Gas Through Power of Siberia

China imported 840 million cubic meters of natural gas by Feb. 25 through the "Power of Siberia" pipeline, launched in December, or an average of 10 million cubic meters daily, state-run Xinhua news agency said late Wednesday.

Belarus Says More Azeri, Russian Oil Supplies Coming Soon

Belarusian state energy company Belneftekhim has signed a contract with Azerbaijan's SOCAR to receive two cargoes of oil totaling 160,000 tonnes, it said on Wednesday.

Russia Makes New Proposal to Belarus for Oil Supply Terms

A new proposal from Russia for oil supplies to Belarus offered a sign of potential progress between the two countries, which have failed to agree on terms since major Russian oil companies suspended pipeline deliveries.

China Resumes Construction on Mid Section of East-Route Pipeline

The middle section of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline project resumed construction in Jinzhou City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Wednesday.

Gazprom Stays Mum on Pipelaying Vessel for Nord Stream 2

The movement of a Russian pipelaying vessel from a port on the country’s east coast has prompted reports it may be en route to the Baltic Sea to resume construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, but its developers remained unwilling to discuss it Wednesday.

Belarus Threatens to Take Oil from Russian Transit Pipeline — Belta

Belarus will start taking oil from the Druzhba transit pipeline if Russia does not supply it with the required volumes of crude, the Belarusian president said on Friday, the state news agency Belta reported.

TurkStream Begins Gas Flows to Greece, North Macedonia

Russia is building TurkStream and doubling the capacity of NordStream across the Baltic Sea to Germany as part of plans to bypass Ukraine in its gas deliveries to Europe.

Bulgaria Starts Receiving Gas from TurkStream, Bypassing Ukraine

Bulgaria started receiving natural gas from Russia’s Gazprom via Turkey on January 1 and will no longer use the route through Ukraine and Romania, Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova said.

Russia, Belarus Leaders Meet Amid Oil Supply Tensions

The presidents of Russia and Belarus, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, will meet on Friday, the Kremlin said, as the oil row between the two rolls into a second month, forcing Minsk to look for crude from as far afield as the United States.

Russia's Transneft Faces up to $1 Billion in ‘Dirty Oil’ Claims: Sources

Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft faces claims of up to $1 billion related to contaminated oil, more than double its own estimates, industry sources said, setting the stage for protracted haggling with oil suppliers.

Kazakhstan Halts Contaminated Oil From Spreading Outside the Country

Kazakhstan has contained the spread of contaminated oil within its borders by reducing exports to China and altering the schedule of supplies to domestic refineries, energy ministry and pipeline operator KazTransOil said on Wednesday.

Belarus Looks to U.S., Middle East as Possible Alternative to Russian Oil - Belta

Belarus is looking for alternatives to Russian oil and is in talks with the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates about supplies, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday, the Belta news agency reported.

Kazakhstan Cuts Oil Exports to China After Contamination Detected — Sources

Kazakhstan reduced oil supplies via the Atasu-Alashankou pipeline to China on Tuesday after tests carried at the end of the last week showed a high content of organic chloride, three trade sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

Putin Accuses Bulgaria of Holding up TurkStream Pipeline

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Bulgaria of deliberately delaying the implementation of Russia’s TurkStream natural gas pipeline on its territory and said that Moscow could find ways to bypass Bulgaria if needed.

Transneft Extends Oil Transit Deal with Ukraine Operator

Ukrainian pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta said it has agreed to a 10-year oil transit extension with Russia’s Transneft.

Long Time Coming: Power Of Siberia Delivers First Gas

The 1,865-mile (3,000-km) Power of Siberia $9 billion gas pipeline is set to become the longest transmission pipeline, east of the Ural Mountains, with its first delivery in mid-December. It will transmit 61 Bcm of natural gas a year from Irkutsk and Yakutia to Russia’s Far East, bringing vital energy for the economic development of the Russian side of the Amur River and onward.

Belarus Starts Maintenance on Druzhba Pipeline, Poland Supplies Reduced - Source

Belarus has started planned maintenance on the Druzhba oil pipeline, the main transit route for Russian oil exports to Europe, resulting in reduced oil supplies to Poland, a source familiar with the plan told Reuters.

Putin: Nord Stream 2 Will be Finished by Q1 2021

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be completed by the end of the year or in the first quarter of 2021, after sanctions imposed by the United States delayed construction.

Belarus Halts Own Oil Exports to Germany, Russian Oil Transit Unaffected — Sources

Belarus' state oil company Belorusneft has suspended supplies of its own oil to Germany this month as Minsk needs to compensate for shortages of Russia-sourced oil amid a contract dispute with Moscow, four industry sources told Reuters on Friday.

Turkey, Russia Launch TurkStream Pipeline

The presidents of Turkey and Russia on Wednesday formally launched the TurkStream pipeline which will carry Russian natural gas to southern Europe through Turkey, part of Moscow's efforts to reduce shipments via Ukraine.

TurkStream Begins Gas Flows to Greece, North Macedonia

Russia has started European gas deliveries through the new TurkStream pipeline to Turkey, Bulgaria's Bulgartransgaz said on Sunday, as Moscow looks to reduce shipments via Ukraine.

Russia Resumes Limited Oil Supplies to Belarus Amid Talks

Belarus has reached an agreement with Russia for limited oil supplies after Moscow earlier this week stopped supplying crude amid stalled talks on strengthening economic ties between the neighboring countries.

Russian Oil, Condensate Output Surges to Record High in 2019

Russian oil and gas condensate production hit a record-high 11.25 MMbpd in 2019, despite the impact of a tainted oil crisis and voluntary production cuts under a global deal to prop up prices.

Germany Hails Russia-Ukraine Deal for Gas Transit to Europe

The German government has welcomed a deal between Russia and Ukraine to ensure the continued transit of Russian natural gas to Europe.

Dispute Brews as Russian Suppliers Divert Oil from Belarus

A new dispute over oil could be brewing between Russia and Belarus as Russian suppliers divert large volumes of crude to domestic ports in lieu of a deal on 2020 deliveries between the two countries