Gazprom restored exports to Europe: Turkish Stream was restarted

Deliveries via the European line of the Turkish Stream have recovered. The gas pipeline was idle for six days. Obviously, Gazprom carried out preventive maintenance, but did not report anything about it.

Six days after the shutdown, Russian gas supplies to Europe resumed. The only route, the European line of the Turkish Stream, did not work from June 10 to June 15, according to the platform of the GTS operators of the EU countries ENTSOG. And since June 16, Russian gas has again gone to European consumers. If on that day 22 million cubic meters passed to Bulgaria and further to other European countries, then on June 17 — 46 million cubic meters. This is the average level at which the European line of the Turkish Stream operated before stopping.

Traditionally, Gazprom conducts preventive maintenance every year, but this year it did not report on them on the Turkish Stream.

Indirectly, this was done by the operator of the Bulgarian GTS Bulgartransgaz. Its materials say that from June 10 to June 14, the company had to limit deliveries through the Strandzha 2/Malkochlar point on the Bulgarian-Turkish border.

Last year, the European line of the Turkish Stream stopped for preventive maintenance for five days in June — from June 4 to June 8.

After the Ukrainian transit was stopped, the European line of the Turkish Stream turned into the only route for the supply of Russian gas to Europe.

Last year, about 16.6 billion cubic meters were supplied via the European line of the gas pipeline, with a projected 15.7 billion cubic meters. This year, deliveries may be higher, as part of the volumes that fell out of Ukrainian transit went to the route. According to the results of five months, exports via the European line of the Turkish Stream increased by 500 million cubic meters to 7.08 billion cubic meters. Gas is supplied under long-term contracts in Hungary, Greece, Serbia, North Macedonia and Slovakia. Local traders also resell them to Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.

Since the beginning of SMO, Gazprom has reduced exports to Europe five times due to sanctions and counter-sanctions. However, the share of pipeline gas from Russia remains significant in Europe — about 10%. Without Ukrainian transit — 5-6%.