We are curtailing pipes: blowing up Nord Streams can close the "gas window" to Europe

Alexey Gromov, Principal Director on Energy Studies of the Institute for Energy and Finance, commented to the Profile business magazine on the possible consequences of undermining Nord Streams.

“Any accidents are repaired,” Aleksey Gromov explained to Profile. “While we can’t assess the extent of the damage, but given the sharp drop in pressure, it is most likely a pipe rupture.” According to him, a lot depends on how quickly it will be possible to free the pipes from the gas present inside: until this is done, “it is impossible to start any work at the facility.” The repair itself must be carried out "as quickly as possible, with the maximum involvement of all possible resources, including international ones."

If Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 are not restored soon, it is safe to assume that Russian gas exports will drop by 50% year-on-year by the end of this year. This forecast was given by Alexey Gromov. Next year, the decline in exports will be more significant and may amount to two thirds of the total volume of Russian deliveries. If, for one reason or another, Ukrainian transit is blocked, then the drop in supplies will be even more significant.