Yamal-Europe pipeline’s eastbound gas flows jump four-fold

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Eastbound natural gas flows through Russia’s Yamal-Europe pipeline jumped four-fold on their way to Poland on Friday, data from German network operator Gascade showed, amid a Russian attack on Ukraine.

It was not immediately clear whether the higher flows were related to the developments in Ukraine, another major route for Russian gas exports to Europe. Russian state gas company Gazprom said on Thursday its gas exports to Europe via Ukraine was not affected.

The pipeline between Poland and Germany usually accounts for about 15% of Russia’s westbound supply of gas to Europe and Turkey but since December has been operating in reverse, driving European gas price rises [NG/GB]

Russia launched its invasion by land, air and sea on Thursday following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin. An estimated 100,000 people fled as explosions and gunfire rocked major cities. Dozens have been reported killed.

Earlier this week, Putin said that Russia would continue to supply gas to world markets.

Flows through the Yamal-Europe pipeline continued to move in reverse mode for a tenth week.

Gas supplies from Germany to Poland via the Mallnow metering point were at 2.92 million kilowatt hours per hour (kWh/h) on Friday, rising from around 700,000 kWh/h in previous hours.

Renominations, or bids, to flow gas from Germany to Poland are also expected at about 2.9 million kWh/h until Saturday morning.

Gazprom, which can book pipeline capacity at daily auctions, has not ordered any transit capacity for February and March via the route.

It did not book capacity for the second and third quarters of the year and has no plans to hold spot gas sales at its electronic platform this week.

Capacity nominations on another major route for Russian deliveries to Europe, for supply to Slovakia from Ukraine via the Velke Kapusany border point, rose to 796,815 MWh from 622,676 MWh on Thursday, when nominations had sharply picked up.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, additional reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Rashmi Aich)