Russia & CIS

Spain Minister Urges Firms to Curb Russian LNG Imports

Spain's Energy Minister Teresa Ribera urged Spanish companies on Monday to reduce imports of LNG from Russia and search for alternatives and said the country was readying a contingency plan for the winter in order to help EU neighbors.

Austria Orders Industry to Make Switch from Natural Gas to Oil

Austria will order industry and utilities to make plants run on alternatives to natural gas where possible, especially oil, its energy minister said on Tuesday, as the country scrambles to hoard gas in case Russia cuts it off.

Kazakhstan Seeks New Oil Export Routes After Russia Suspends Caspian Pipeline

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Thursday told his government to diversify its oil supply routes, a day after a Russian court ordered the Caspian Pipeline Consortium to suspend activity for 30 days.

Russia Seizes Control of Sakhalin-1 Oil and Gas Project

A senior Russian lawmaker said on Thursday that Moscow would take control of the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project in which Exxon Mobil, Japan's SODECO and India's ONGC Videsh are partners, a week after taking over the neighboring Sakhalin-2.

Russian Court Orders Caspian Oil Pipeline to Suspend Operations

Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which takes oil from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea via one of the world's largest pipelines, has been told by a Russian court to suspend activity for 30 days, although exports were still flowing.

Minister: Greece Can Cope with Possible Russian Gas Disruptions Thanks to LNG

Greece can cope well with potential cuts in Russian gas supply due to the availability of LNG as an alternative, its energy minister said on Monday after a meeting with energy suppliers and grid operators on energy security.

Russia’s Gazprom to Require Rubles for LNG – Interfax

Russian gas producer Gazprom has proposed expanding its ruble-for-gas scheme for pipeline gas to include LNG, the Interfax news agency quoted a senior manager as saying on Monday.

Russia's Control of Sakhalin Project Could Pose Upside Risk to LNG Prices

Russia announced on Friday a decree that seizes full control of the Sakhalin-2 gas and oil project in the country's far east, a move that could force out Shell and Japanese investors and adds another bullish factor to prices in a tight global LNG market.

Canada Sees Repsol LNG as Fastest Way to Boost Gas Supply to Europe

Canada's East Coast has only enough natural gas supply to accommodate one new LNG export facility, and the project that would boost shipments to Europe the fastest is Repsols, Canada's environment minister told Reuters.

Russia Looks to Lure Asian Buyers with Higher Quality Crude Oil

Russia has been improving the quality of its flagship Urals crude oil export, making the heavily-discounted grade even more attractive to buyers in Asia who have been snapping it up, data obtained by Reuters showed.

US Authorities Stop Oil Tanker Traveling from Russia to Verify Origin

U.S. authorities have stopped an oil tanker traveling from Russia to New Orleans to check whether it is Russian in origin, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

EU Prepares to Curb Demand as Russian Gas Cuts Intensify

A "serious disruption" to the European Union's gas supplies from Russia is likely, the bloc's energy chief said on Monday as she urged countries to update their contingency plans for supply shocks and use other fuels where possible to conserve gas.

Running Short of Gas: Russia's Pipeline Repair Has Europe Worried

When Russia turns off the gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline for maintenance in July, Europe is starting to worry that it won't turn it back on again.

Greece Looking to Secure Deal with Italy for Gas Storage

Greece has been in talks with Italy to see whether it can store gas in the neighboring country as part of efforts to secure supplies if Russian flows are disrupted, Greece's energy regulator said on Monday.

Russia’s War on Ukraine Rippling Through Latin America

In Latin America, the effects of the war in Ukraine are having a major impact on the fragile economies that are still gradually recovering from the pandemic.

EU, Norway Agree to Increase Gas Deliveries as Russian Cuts Deepen

The European Union and Norway agreed on Thursday to cooperate to bring more gas from western Europe's biggest producer to the EU's 27 countries, nearly half of which are now grappling with cuts to Russian gas supplies.

Canada Seeking Pathway to Enable German Gas Flow Amid Russian Sanctions

Ottawa is evaluating options to help restore German gas supplies as a crucial Nord Stream 1 pipeline part is stranded in Canada due to Russian sanctions, the Canadian Natural Resources Minister said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday.

Denmark Issues 'Early Warning' on Russian Gas Supply

Denmark's energy agency said on Monday it had activated the first step of a three-stage emergency gas supply plan, which effectively means a tighter monitoring of the market, due to uncertainty about gas supplies from Russia.

Austria Returns to Coal After Russia Halves Gas Deliveries

Austria's government agreed with utility Verbund on Sunday to convert a reserve, gas-fired power plant so that it can produce electricity with coal should restricted gas supplies from Russia result in an energy emergency.

Ukraine to Tap 109 MMcm/d of Spare Gas Capacity to Offset Nord Stream 1 Flows

Ukraine has around 109 million cubic meters a day (MMcm/d) of spare gas capacity through a transit route to Europe which could be used to offset lower flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Ukraine's gas transmission operator said on Monday.

Russia's Novatek to Launch Construction on Arctic LNG 2 Project in 2023

Leonid Mikhelson, the chief executive of Russian gas producer Novatek, said on Friday that the company aimed to start the first line of its Arctic LNG 2 project in 2023.

Lebanon, Egypt to Finalize Gas Import Deal on June 21

Lebanon will sign a "final" agreement to import gas from Egypt on June 21, its energy ministry told Reuters, after months of delays to a plan viewed as critical to boosting power supplies for Lebanon's stricken economy.

Gazprom CEO Sees No Solution to Nord Stream 1 Repair Delays Caused by Sanctions

Gazprom sees no solution to an ongoing equipment issue at the Portovaya compressor station, part of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that carries Russian gas to Germany, its CEO said on Thursday.

Italgas Plans to Invest $4.7 Billion to Upgrade Gas Pipeline Network in Italy

Italgas plans to invest $4.7 billion to 2028 to complete the upgrade of its domestic Italian network, which includes 74,000 km (46,000 miles) of regulated gas pipelines, the company said on Wednesday.

Gazprom Cuts Gas Exports to Italy by 15% Following Nord Stream Pipeline Disruptions

Russia's Gazprom cut its gas exports to Italy by around 15% on Wednesday, Italian energy firm Eni said, a move that comes as the Russian group is also curbing its gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, blaming Western sanctions for disrupting repair works it needs to do on the network.

EU, Israel and Egypt Ink Framework Deal to Boost East Med Gas Exports to Europe

Israel and Egypt will aim to boost natural gas exports to Europe under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Wednesday as the continent looks to replace Russian energy imports.

Nord Stream Gas Capacity to Europe Constrained by Repair Delays

The capacity of Gazprom's Nord Stream 1 pipeline to supply gas to Europe is partly constrained as sanctions make it impossible for equipment supplier Siemens Energy to return a turbine being maintained in Canada, the companies said.

ONGC Expects Sanctions to Further Delay Russia's Sakhalin 1 Oil Project

Operations at Russia's Sakhalin 1 oil project will continue to face disruptions for 'a couple of months' as Western sanctions have hit insurance cover for ships to transport crude, according to India's ONGC Videsh, a stakeholder.

Dutch Government Reluctant to Boost Production from Groningen Gas Field

Tapping the Groningen gas field, which is being wound down due to a series of earthquakes, should be a "last resort", a Dutch minister said on Tuesday, after a government advisory body suggested using the field to help fill gas stores.

Sources: US to let Eni, Repsol Ship Venezuela Oil to Europe for Debt

Eni and Spain's Repsol SA could begin shipping Venezuelan oil to Europe as soon as next month to make up for Russian crude, resuming oil-for-debt swaps halted two years ago when Washington stepped up sanctions on Venezuela.