Moscow, Paris may launch gas pipeline project

PanARMENIAN.Net - Moscow and Paris may launch a project to build new gas pipelines from Russia to Europe to meet the growing demand by EU states, Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom said on Monday, February 20, according to RIA Novosti.

"The parties have come to agreement that it is necessary to build new direct gas transport capacities from Russia to Europe to meet the growing demand of European consumers in Russian natural gas," Gazprom said in a statement.

Faced with severe weather conditions, some EU states complained in late January and early February that they were receiving less gas from Russia than expected, however, Gazprom, which supplies a quarter of Europe's gas imports, said it was delivering as much gas as it could under current contracts.

The two parties prevented a crisis in gas supplies and blue fuel deliveries returned to contract volumes after a week or two.

In 2011, France, the third largest consumer of Russian gas in Europe, received 9.53 billion cubic meters from Gazprom under a core contract and up to 1.5 bcm through Nord Stream pipeline under an additional contract.