Russia is wasting large amounts of natural gas by flaring it near the Finnish border, while it has drastically cut deliveries to the European Union, scientists and analysts said on Friday, according to Reuters.
Analysts at Rystad, a Norway-based energy consultancy, called the energy an environmental disaster and estimated that the amount of natural gas being flared in the atmosphere is equivalent to around 0.5% of the EU’s daily needs.
The spectacular flare can be seen in satellite images of Portovaya, home to a compressor station for the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline that runs under the Baltic Sea to Germany.
Russia has reduced flows through Nord Stream 1 to just 20% of capacity and plans to shut it down completely for three days next week, citing maintenance problems with the turbines. The EU accuses it of using natural gas as a weapon to counter Western sanctions on Ukraine.
Flaring is a common practice in oil and gas production, but today’s level is unusually high and the timing is sensitive due to Russian cuts.
Russian energy giant Gazprom did not respond to a request for comment.
Rystad analysts wrote: “Exact levels of flaring volume are difficult to quantify, but are believed to be at levels of around 4.34 million cubic meters per day. This equates to 1.6 billion cubic meters annually and is equal to with around 0.5% of the EU’s natural gas demand needs”.
The burning was first reported in Finland, which borders Russia, earlier this month.
Professor Esa Vakkilainen of LUT University, in Lappeenranta, said Gazprom may have been burning up to 1,000 euros worth of gas per hour in the past two months, with the flaring weighing on the atmosphere.
Gazprom cut natural gas production by more than 13% from the start of the year to mid-August to about 275 billion cubic meters. Its natural gas exports outside the former Soviet Union fell more than 36 percent to 78.5 billion cubic meters amid the standoff with the West over Ukraine.
Source: Capital
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