Russia’s Pipeline Natural Gas Exports to Europe Dropped in August

Russian natural gas pipeline exports to Europe declined by 2% in August compared to both August last year and July 2024, according to estimates by Reuters published on Monday.

Last month, gas giant Gazprom’s average daily pipeline shipments to Europe fell to 89.6 million cubic meters, down by 2% month-on-month and down by 2.3% from August 2023, per the Reuters calculations based on data from European gas transmission group Entsog and Gazprom’s daily reports on gas transit via Ukraine.

Natural gas flows from Russia to Europe via Ukraine continued last month despite clashes at the Russia-Ukraine border near the only gas metering station that still sends Russian gas west to Europe. The Ukrainian ground assault on the Russian region of Kursk across the border hasn’t affected supply via the Sudzha gas transfer and measuring stations in the Kursk region.

After the Sokhranivka entry point for Russian gas transit via Ukraine was closed, Gazprom had to divert all the gas it can send to the Sudzha entry point.

Gazprom’s pipeline exports via Ukraine accounted for nearly half of all pipeline shipments from Russia to the EU in August, according to Reuters’s calculations.

So far this year, Gazprom’s shipments to Europe have increased compared to the very low levels of 2023. Year to date in August, these have jumped by 19.2%, per the Reuters estimates.

Gazprom stopped reporting monthly export data at the beginning of 2023.

Russia has seen its gas exports to Europe significantly reduced since the invasion of Ukraine. The major drop in Gazprom’s gas deliveries was due to the halt of Russian pipeline gas exports to nearly all European countries.

Before the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia supplied around one-third of all the gas to Europe and was the single biggest supplier.

Norway has now replaced Russia and has become the top supplier of gas to Europe.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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